All England triumph for top seed couple
(Reuters)Updated: 2007-03-12 08:29
BIRMINGHAM, England - Top seed Lin Dan of China blazed to his third All England singles title in four years on Sunday with a 21-13 21-12 victory over sixth-seeded compatriot Chen Yu.
 China's Lin Dan holds up the trophy after beating China's Chen Yu in the men's single final match at the All England badminton championships in Birmingham, England March 11, 2007. [Reuters]  |
Lin played supremely well before a full house at the National Indoor Arena and was rarely in trouble. His head to head record with Chen now reads 5-0.
"I think I played my best of the week here. I was ahead and felt comfortable," the world champion told reporters.
The victory was the first of the day for the Chinese who were hoping to win all five titles up for grabs for the first time in the history of the tournament which dates back to 1899 but eventually they had to settle for four.
The bid failed at the second hurdle in the men's doubles when top seeds Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng lost 21-15 21-18 to the exciting new Malaysian pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, the Asian Games champions.
The women's doubles went to third seeds Wei Yili and Zhang Yawen who outlasted second-seeded fellow Chinese Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen 21-16 8-21 24-22.
In the mixed doubles, to the disappointment of the home crowd, the formidable new pairing of Zheng Bo and Gao Ling came from a game down to beat sixth seeds Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg 16-21 21-18 21-14.
The English duo looked possible winners when they led 17-16 in the second game but three errors in quick succession by Clark and one from Kellogg handed the initiative to the Chinese.
In the women's singles, Lin's girlfriend Xie Xingfang claimed her third consecutive All England crown by sweeping past Chinese-born Pi Hongyan of France 21-6 21-13.
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