JUST 24 MINUTES: Lin hits a return against Tuan Duc Do of Vietnam during their men’s singles first round match at the Badminton Asia Championships in Taipei. — AFP photo
TAIPEI: China’s legendary Lin Dan saw off Vietnam’s Tuan Duc Do in just 24 minutes yesterday as he flew to his first victory since successfully defending his Olympic title in London last year.
‘Super Dan’, an icon in China and rated by many as badminton’s greatest player, made light of his eight-month break as he breezed through 21-12, 21-6 to reach the second round of the Badminton Asia Championships in Taipei.
The 29-year-old has won every major title going but he has been off the scene since the Olympic final last August, apart from his marriage to fellow badminton athlete Xie Xingfang and an exhibition match in December.
Do, the world number 422, put up a fight early on but the match was over as a contest when Lin reeled off 10 points in a row at the start of game two, followed by another six-point burst.
Lin, whose ranking has dropped to 40 during his long absence, will face a greater test on Thursday when he comes up against third seed Hu Yun of Hong Kong, a semi-finalist at last month’s Swiss Open.
Chinese top seed Chen Long beat Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long, while women’s Olympic champion Li Xuerui went through against fellow Chinese Yu Sun, a qualifier.
With some of their top Asian rivals skipping the event, China have a strong chance of replicating their achievement at the Olympics by winning all five titles on offer. — AFP