Lin Dan blazes to third All England title

  BIRMINGHAM: World one Lin Dan showed himself arguably the most popular of the many Chinese champions as he won his third All-England Open title in four years at the British national indoor arena.   

The elastic and acrobatic left-hander received a great reception from the English crowd after his 21-13, 21-12 victory over his compatriot, Chen Yu, the sixth seed.   

Lin reserved his most authoritative display for the final, having twice been taken the full distance earlier in the tournament, and having looked in real trouble in the third game of his quarter-final against Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro. But now Lin again made himself popular for his ability to project spectacular winners from difficult round-the-head positions, to play the rallies in a variety of different ways, and to express his feelings.    

Several times he dived dramatically along the floor, once he queried a line decision with the umpire and at the end he moved towards the crowd and applauded them before running back to embrace his opponent.    

Afterwards he told reporters that he hoped to celebrate by doing some shopping, and on being told that shops close early on Sundays in the UK he joked: "I had better leave now then!"   

Lin also paid tribute to his British supporters. "Of course it is important to receive such crowd support," he said.

"But of course I was playing against another Chinese player and the support is more important when I am playing against someone like Peter Gade."    

Despite this, the final lacked passion and adrenalin, and was most notable for the great skill and easy movement of the two men, without any sense that either was digging deep emotionally to secure the victory.    

Lin was soon 13-8 in the lead, and when Chen pulled it back to 13-10, Lin produced a sequence of three winning smashes which helped power him to 18-10.   

In the second game he reached 9-2 with another round-the-head smash followed by a perfect, delicate net shot which fell dead. Later he made a flick serve winner over Chen's head which left him stranded and made the crowd gasp.   

That carried Lin to 13-3 and although Chen won some good points at the net and pulled the deficit back to 19-12 there was at no stage a doubt about the outcome.      

"I am 24 and there are a lot of strong younger players coming along," Lin said, anxious not to get carried away. "Not only do they learn from me but I learn from them so that I can try to keep the world number one position."    

Later Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, the top seeds in the men's doubles, failed to win back the title, losing 21-18, 21-15 in the final to the Malysians, Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong.    

It prevented China from becoming the first nation of the open era to win all five titles. The Chinese were however already sure of at least two, supplying both finalists in the women's doubles as well.