Taipei: Seventh seed Lin Dan survived a scare from Japan’s Riichi Takeshita to win his Chinese Taipei Open semi-final in three tight sets at Taipei on Saturday.
The Chinese player, who is looking to climb higher in the BWF rankings by winning the Chinese Taipei Open title, was stretched to the limit before prevailing 21-15, 14-21, 21-18 in 65 minutes.
Takeshita trailed 11-3 in the first set but mounted a resilient fightback to close the gap to 11-8. Lin Dan then regained control and eased to the opening set win, 21-15.
Takeshita switched gears in the second set. He attacked heavily to race into a 7-0 lead and held his nerve throughout the game. Lin Dan never found an opening to draw level, and Takeshita claimed the set 21-14.
In the decider, Takeshita showed guile and fighting spirit against Lin Dan’s powerful smashing. The unseeded player tied the score on four separate occasions, but the Olympic champion rallied to fend off the Japanese player at 21-18.
Lin Dan will face compatriot Wang Zhengming in the final. Wang knocked out Hong Kong’s Wei Nan in the other semi-final, winning 21-18, 21-16.
Other matches on the day
- Mixed doubles: Alfian Eko Prasetya and Annisa Saufika (Indonesia) vs Liu Yuchen and Yu Xiaohan (China)
- Women’s singles: Sung Ji Hyun (Korea) vs Liu Xin (China)
- Women’s doubles: Wang Xiaoli and Wang Yu Yang (China) vs Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii (Indonesia)
- Men’s singles: Lin Dan (China) vs Wang Zhengming (China)
- Men’s doubles: Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen (China) vs Andrei Adistia and Hendra Aprida Gunawan (Indonesia)