Lin Dan ousts Peter Hoeg Gade in epic semi-final battle at the Singapore Open Super Series 2011
China’s most celebrated Men’s Singles shuttler, Lin Dan, managed to beat Peter Hoeg Gade of Denmark, in an epic semi-final battle of the Singapore Open Super Series 2011. The match was played in Singapore City, on Saturday, June 18.
The three-time World Champion and ruling Olympic Gold medallist, Lin, had to dig deep into his reserves to beat the Danish veteran in an entertaining rubber-set match. Both shuttlers played at the highest level of badminton for 74 minutes.
The 27-year-old Lin, who is seeking his first ever title in Singapore, was playing in his usual fast style against Peter Gade, who was also playing at the same speed. The score progressed closely until the end of the opening half, where the Chinese secured
a two-point advantage at 11-9.
After the break, the Chinese, who is the World Number Two in the rankings, wasted no time in reaching at 20-16. Peter Gade then put up a tremendous show of fascinating badminton and stunned the Chinese by taking six successive points to win the game by a
22-20 margin, in 28 minutes.
The second game also progressed in similar fashion, where both players remained close to each other in the opening half of the game. After the break, Lin accelerated his speed and started to employ powerful smashes from all areas of the court to keep the
Danish shuttler under pressure.
Gade made some mistakes by playing wrong shots, which helped the Chinese in winning the second set by a 21-17 margin, in 24 minutes.
In the deciding game, the 34-year-old Peter Gade became a little slow in his movement, as he began to get tired. Lin, who is famous for his superb fitness, kept the pace of the game quite high and clinched the final set in 22 minutes, with a 21-15 margin.
The thrilling battle ended in 74 minutes, where Lin emerged victorious with a 20-22, 21-17 and 21-15 score on the board.
In the final showdown of the event, Lin will take on his team-mate, Chen Jin, who defeated compatriot, Wang Zhengming, in their semi-final encounter.
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