Lin Dan whips Chen Long; fifth world title beckons

Lin Dan of China stands at the net after winning his match against Chen Long of China Badminton 2013 World Championships at the Tianhe Gymnasium on August 9, 2013 in Guangzhou, China. (Photo by Victor Fraile/Getty Images)

It was the most anticipated match of recent times: Lin Dan and Chen Long in a World Championships battle.

When it ended, 21-13 22-20 for Lin Dan, it was confirmation that the all-time legend was back to his best, or at least close to it.

A Lin Dan-Chen Long encounter is special for several reasons. The two, with Lee Chong Wei, are the three most dominant players on the planet. We’ve seen enough of Lee Chong Wei vs. Chen Long, and Lee Chong Wei vs. Lin Dan, but we weren’t quite sure what would happen in a Chen Long vs. Lin Dan match.

Consider the context too: Lin Dan has been out of competitive action after winning the Olympics a year ago. He played a friendly against Peter Gade in December, and was expected to return to competitive action at the Indonesia Open, but backed out. The only tournament he played in one year was the Asian Championships, where he handed a walkover to compatriot Wang Zhengming.

When he arrived at the World Championships, which he has won four times, nobody was sure of his physical or mental condition. In interviews, he said he had taken time off because he’d played badminton for over 20 years now, and desperately needed the break. But would the break have caused some rust in his formidable armour?

Chen Long, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength over the last two years. In terms of sheer physicality, few players evoke the awe that he does. Tall and muscular, Chen Long imposes his physicality on the game: a certain brutality distinguishes it. There are other physical players, but Chen Long is a unique specimen. Lee Chong Wei has been unrivalled on the Superseries circuit, but against Chen Long one has seen vulnerability.

I vividly recall the 2011 Denmark Open final, where Chen Long so completely destroyed the Malaysian that one thought he’d take a while to recover. But Chong Wei recovered quickly enough, beating Chen in the French Open the following week.

Then again, at the All England final in March this year, we saw Chen Long getting the better of Chong Wei. The Malaysian has to be at his very best to beat Chen Long – any slight dip in consistency, as happened at the All England final, is sure to be brutally punished.

With Lin Dan stepping aside after the Olympics, the badminton world saw Chen Long slowly step into his shoes. How did the Chinese team management themselves rate Chen Long against Lin Dan? Who was their best bet against Chong Wei in a major tournament? In other words, how would a Lin Dan vs. Chen Long match go?

We saw the answer today. The badminton world wondered whether the match would be on the level. One has so often seen China vs. China contests that cause one competitor to mysteriously lose form. Some say that the first game is up for grabs – whoever loses it has to concede the second quickly, to enable the victor to ease through to the next round. It used to be fairly easy to spot those kinds of matches, but after the Olympics fiasco, perhaps it’s gotten harder. It’s impossible to be certain.

The quarterfinal today looked on the level. Lin Dan wasn’t expressive, but Chen Long looked animated, frequently wincing as he committed errors.

What was significant was Lin Dan’s form. Despite being without match practice for a year, the Chinese great was Chen Long’s superior in all aspects – hardly an easy task. He controlled the pace beautifully, giving Chen no opportunity to use his fearsome smash. His control, despite the long absence from the circuit, was stunning – tosses that landed on the line; smashes that cut past the outstretched racket; net shots that could not be attacked. It was a master class, and Lin Dan had won the first game 21-13.

Chen Long regrouped in the second. Although he still wasn’t allowed to use his fearsome smash, he worked his way back in, staying level until the end. A final mis-hit smash gave Lin Dan the match. He’s favourite now for the final. If Lee Chong Wei can get there as well, we’ll have one for the ages.