Kidambi, putting on a skillful and valiant display, impressively beat Lin 21-11 in game two and headed into the third an deciding game with all of the momentum.
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In a few hours, Malaysia’s leading singles player Datuk Lee Chong Wei (pic) will take the court against Chou Tien-Chen of Chinese Taipei in a crucial Olympic quarterfinal.
“The fact that my teammates have already made two finals is a source of motivation and I am looking to create history by making it three”.
Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir defeated Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying of Malaysia to win Olympic gold in the badminton mixed doubles on Wednesday.
Chinese badminton superstar Lin Dan survived a major scare yesterday to set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with Malaysian arch-rival Lee Chong Wei at the Rio Olympics.
The Indonesian pair took the first game 21-14 before completing the victory with a 21-12 triumph in the second, delighting a noisy contingent of Indonesian fans who chanted their country’s name throughout.
“I have to focus on my game here and there is pressure within me as this is my final call”.
China’s Lin, bidding for an unprecedented third successive title, was pushed to the limit in the 68-minute battle with world No. 11 Srikanth at the Riocentro before closing out the match 21-6, 11-21, 21-18. “But I have own objective and no matter what the result will be, I will try my best and enjoy my fourth and last Olympic Games”, said 33-year-old Lee. “A lot of top players are losing at this tournament, so I must be very careful”, he said.
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China’s twice world champion Chen Long edged South Korea’s Son Wan-ho 21-11 18-21 21-11 and will meet Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the other semi-final on Friday.
