“I keep on competing because I want to challenge myself. I want to see how far I can go, and set an example for younger players. I don’t think many players have pushed themselves and played at this level once they reach a certain age. I want to continue playing and try to qualify for Tokyo 2020.” – Lin Dan
….and US$1.6M a year till 2025 for just showing up to play is perhaps the main reason to keep playing Also many more revenues coming in from other endorsers. Not just the GOAT baddy player but heck of a smart chap
I did get a bit carried away. On paper, he should make the semis and will probably have to face SYQ. Like you said, one match at a time.
Probably the streakiest player LMAO. He is liable to both win and lose a lot of points in a row. Hope he makes it to Sunday.
I like his second reason best, the first is personal, the last, he really needs to be in tip-top condition, good is not enough for badminton at the highest level. Allow me to remind Lin Dan what Xia Xuanze pointed out is his stumbling block, it's self-discipline or lack thereof (in training and lifestyle, as I understand it).
Well, if Lin Dan gets past Suppanyu today, there is ,probably, Kanta Tsuneyama waiting for him tomorrow, a tricky proposition I'd say. Semifinals and Final, even tougher, daren't think that far, realistically speaking.
We get to see LD in another match, one better than the last one. It's going to be a tough opponent tomorrow though. Tsuneyama is a fast and physical player, LD has lost some matches against him. Hopefully LD has the answers tomorrow. Good luck to him
Did you all catch that moment when LD held the shuttle and gestured to the umpire that it needs to be changed, then he gestured at his opponent for his approval as well. When Thai dude agreed, LD hit the shuttle at him like, 'okay you go change it then'. Then he went to have a towel. Seriously bro what the hell was that LMAO
I checked the video again. I think you're reading too much into that incident. First, Suppanyu waved his racquet to indicate he wanted a towel-down and proceeded to his kitbox. When Lin Dan went over to the net to pick up the shuttle and signaled to the umpire about changing the shuttle, Suppanyu already finished his toweling down and was walking over to the net , so Lin Dan simply flicked the shuttle over to Suppanyu to get it changed since it's his service and Suppanyu obliged, and then Lin Dan walked to his kitbox to towel down. Unless you expect Lin Dan to take the shuttle all the way to the service judge before walking to his kitbox , which meant Suppanyu would follow suit to the service judge to collect the shuttle, thus wasting quite a bit of time especially when Lin Dan hadn't toweled down yet, I have nothing to say. Suppanyu didn't seem to mind, the whole incident looks buddy-buddy to me. In my opinion, it was a non-event, the umpire's bland reaction included, apparently, the matter went by unnoticed until you brought it up here. No drama at all.
Either way, surely it's no big deal to both players too. Our guy was just acting a little strange this match but we love him for being him tho!
I don't know what you saw. I saw a bad match between an experienced old guy and a wildly inconsistent CTC with bad decision making and terrible indecisiveness. I had expected something really good from the reactions, but it was pretty slow and error-laden. That throw by CTC in G2 was absolutely horrible to watch. If a player earns a comeback by playing great himself, that's exciting to watch, this just had me face-palming all the time. Not exciting for me to watch, although I guess I can understand a diehard fan of LD getting a thrill out of it. A bit disingenuous to describe it as a nailbaiter to anyone who isn't very very invested in either player (e.g. a coach or partner)
I did watch their match. When LD was trailing in G2 against CTC, he scores many winners to snatched G2 and went on to win the match. Anyway, LD is really serious to aim for Tokyo 2020. He even stated that he won't retire unless LCW does it first.
Give and take, that's just one match, but, still, to come back from 12-19 to take the next 9 points on the trot against a player of Chou Tien Chen's caliber with little room for error is nothing short of spectacular; not only that he went on to prevail in G3 leading most of the way thereby proving G2's win is no fluke. Mind you, CTC is WR3 currently. Still,he didn't stop there, in R2, he did it to A Suppanyu, first by squeezing out a narrow victory in G1, 25-23, and then stunned him 21-8 in G2 ! Yet , that's still not the end of the story. In the QF today, he succeeded in inflicting an unlikely defeat on yet another even younger up-and-comer, the 22-year-old Kanta Tsuneyama, 16-21, 21-17 and 21-10 in 70 minutes ! Instead of describing it, I suggest you watch the match, a video speaks a million words. To be frank, I believe that's about it for Lin Dan in this MAS Open, it'll be quite a stretch to expect more from Lin Dan in the semifinals tomorrow as facing him is none other than his young compatriot, the WR2 Shi Yuqi. A tall order, I've no delusions. For now, I'm more than satisfied, can't ask for anything more at the moment. The future is another story.
OK, I mistook it for 110 minutes (as I was eager to go watch the MD match now playing), so it's 1 hr 10 minutes. Thanks for pointing it out, but is it that funny (LMAO)?
Yeah, I found it unbelievable to mistook the time. Okay, no hard feelings. Everyone is bound to make mistakes sometimes.
This old GOAT prolly thinking life is tough....I wanna be generous to let CTC and Kanna chaps win, still they cannot do it lah! So, you guys want me to give a WO? Okay next time lah This MO generates no OLY2020 QF points, payout is peanuts like US35K (cannot even buy my wife a Hermes bag) and playing 5 matches over 5 days (assuming 60 minutes per match) equates to something like US$120 per hour, cannot even pay for medicine to soothe my aching back. I am here because of that wonderful YY contract, dang! no need to play and still pocket US$1.6M, life's good. Playing Shi and me go all out, you must be crazy. I ain't gonna show him everything....wait for OLY QF to start.....LOL
