SYDNEY: Chinese superstar Lin Dan fought back from dropping the opening game to overhaul Simon Santoso and win the World Superseries Australian Badminton Open in Sydney yesterday.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion downed the 18th-ranked Indonesian, 22-24, 21-16, 21-7 in 75 minutes.
It was Lin’s first World Superseries final in over two years and he took charge from the second game.
Lin, 30, considered the greatest badminton player of all time, had to qualify for the Sydney event after his ranking dropped to 104 following a seven-month sabbatical from the sport.
He went into the final ranked 22 and is expected to climb further in the world rankings following his Sydney victory.
Santoso had lost 10 of his previous 11 encounters with Lin, but looked on course for an upset when he shocked the Chinese star in the first game.
India’s Saina Nehwal won the women’s singles final in straight games against Spain’s Carolina Marin. The eighth-ranked Nehwal overcome early resistance to defeat Marin, ranked three spots below her, 21-18, 21-11 in 43 minutes. It was Nehwal’s first World Superseries final in 20 months and she got there by eliminating Chinese top seed Wang Shixian in three games in Saturday’s semi.
The South Korean combination of Lee Yong-Dae and Yoo Yeon-Seong won the men’s doubles final from Taipei’s Lee Sheng-Mu and Tsai Chia-hsin 21-14, 21-18.
Chinese duo Qing Tian and Zhao Yunlei took the women’s doubles from Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi 21-15, 21-9.
Koreans Ko Sung-Hyan and Kim Ha-Na captured the mixed doubles final from German pair Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels 21-16, 21-17.
The next Superseries event is scheduled for Denmark from October 14-19.AFP
