Sorry,I got it wrong,the score wasn't similar unless you reverse the 1st and 2nd game. It is good for Lin Dan to play Lee CW once every 2 or 3 months to keep track of the latter's standard and condition instead of avoiding him for too long. The London OG is just about 8 months away, Lin Dan has to keep himself in tip-top condition,constantly on his toes,feel challenged and keenly competitive to stay on top of his main rivals. He also has to watch out for his young,fast-rising compatriot,Chen Long.
Another narrow victory for Lin Dan over Lee CW. But that's still beneficial as it will further enhance his psychological advantage over Lee,and such an advantage often translates into an edge at crucial moments in a match where two evenly-matched contestants are pitted against each other,the more so in a pressure-cooker environment of a major championship, such as the World Championship, The Olympics, Thomas and Sudirman Cups.
I still don't see it as just an exhibition match - they both really want to win (see my earlier post);it's good for their ego,their self-belief,their confidence,their pride,not least of all the difference between 1mil and 500k RMB. Chong Wei testing his new techniques? He has to or otherwise even Chen Long will become a harder proposition;and for that matter,Lin Dan too will have to develop something new. As the famous CHN coach Tang Xianhu used to say "to just maintain your standard is to fall behind" as your opponents are constantly studying and analyzing your game to beat you when you are the top player or pair.
A big thank-you for whyau for uploading the video files(in particular to mediafire). What a great match between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei - badminton of the very highest quality, beautiful,exciting,thrilling,worthy of a dream final,unforgettable. Lin Dan needed Lee CW to bring out the best in him and vice versa ; there's nothing much to choose from between the two in terms of skill, with Lin Dan having the edge psychologically and in mental superiority at crucial moments. I believe even Lin Dan knows Chong Wei has caught with him in the level of play, and it's getting harder for him to beat the latter. Their perpetual rivalry has raised and enriched the standard of badminton,making them inarguably two of the greatest players of all time. And in the horizon, I see Chen Long getting ready to join the ranks of this two-man exclusive elite club, all the better for the badminton world! Of course, I wouldn't forget to thank as well, Taufik Hidayat who in his heyday was a most fearsome opponent,and Peter The Great Gade aka Mr Evergreen whom I regarded as even greater than his famous predecessor,Morten Frost. Indeed,aptly,this is a contest of The Four Heavenly Kings.
Found some photos in the link below. http://sports.sina.com.cn/z/2011badminton/photo/111482/index.shtml Mrs Lin looks gorgeous
She gained some weight so I didn't recognize her immediately. At first I was wondering why she's been captured by the camera a lot of times during LCW vs LD match... hehe!
Pardon me, this may be an off topic discussion. During the exhibition games, is it just me or did anyone notice Sally Yeh (葉蒨文), the popular Cantopop singer, was also an audience there?
Seems like LD is the only player who is loyal to Li Ning, None of the YY sponsored players wore YY attire on those pics..Well maybe LD obliged to did so..
I was thinking of that possibility as well. Therefore since they are not required to wear their sponsorship attire, PG, LCW, & TH wears casual outfit, instead & yet LD wears LiNing... He is so loyal for that brand, unless he is obliged to do so...
Didn't watch the video or matches but wouldn't surprise me. Sally is a huge badminton fan and she was/is one of the badminton ambassador.