I can safely say that the above posters are badminton players including GC who saw through CL's acting.
She says that about DPY as well! And iirc about FHF in another era... edit: actually, I'm going to "accuse" GC of "sexual discrimination". How come she's never called Misaki Matsutomo or Wang Lin or Jung Kyung Eun "a fine physical specimen"?
Could CYFHF have played better against the MAHS? Could PVS have played better against RI? Could BYJ have played better against LXR? I don't think anyone believes that any of the aforementioned players were acting, even though they clearly did not play their best games. Yes, CL didn't play his best. Far from it. That doesn't make it a fake match. You might as well say LCW acted in the 2008 OG Final because he didn't play his best.
Some didn't even realize that LD & CL are from the same nation. Even my 11 year-old nephew knows match fixing can only happen between opponents from the same country.
The real problem is two fold. Firstly, you have the Chinese team openly flaunt the rules, and essentially admit in the past to match fixing and a rash of 'mysterious illnesses' such as 'drinking too much cold water' during events at matches where it's not in their best interests to have CHN vs CHN, or they deliberately tank matches like the women did at the Olympics. Secondly, you have the cultural imperative, which is the melodrama of the all-conquering cultural revolution, and in the case of Lin Dan, the story of "Player comes in from the wilderness, and through the strength of his military training and divine intervention, conquers all" and the myth of the invincible comrade is cemented in the mind of the populous (and the rest of the badminton-loving world). Both of these factors are very unsubtle and contribute to why people would think that the LD vs CL match was fixed. I think this is a reasonable question based on the match itself and the two points I've mentioned about. For me, it was like watching a training session - and had about as much entertainment value. It was patently obvious that CL wasn't playing with the determination and fervor he seems to mostly save up for when he's playing LCW. It was a mind-numbingly boring match. Is it reasonable to think it was a fixed match? I can list more reasons that it was than it wasn't.
If you regularly hear Gillian Clark commentate, you will know she is an ardent fan of Lee Chong Wei. Even my 11-year old son notices, that when commentating LCW matches, she frequently roots for him and puts his opponent down. The most obvious instance was at the 2010 Japan Open MSF when Chen Long beat LCW. Throughout the match, she was obviously supporting the latter. When CL won the match point, his first victory over LCW got the better of him and he celebrated by running off to the stands to hug Li Yongbo, without first shaking hands with his opponent. This really incurred the ire of GC, who openly berated CL for his excessive celebration and unbecoming sportsmanship. As a commentator, you can support your favourite player but not during match commentary when you are supposed to be absolutely neutral. It just shows your level of professionalism.
duh .. who would even watch CN vs CN? the result is always the same, who needs more ranking points? who has the best chance facing the next opponent?
We do not criticize news broadcaster reading the evening news for being bias, anti-this or that, becauase they are simply reading the news. But when it comes to commentators e.g. GC on pro sports, commentators are engaged with the duration of the match or the whole show from Day 1 to Day End, it is difficult for not favoring 1 side in their commentary. Of course, racist comments are No-No. I don't think it is a matter of not being professional, it is what it is, commentators are human and they are partisan towards one side, much like so many Einstein and geniuses in this forum.
If LYB fixed CL-LD match to have LD face LCW, then that was a real gutzy call to make. Almost the majority of fans, pro players/coaches and Einsteisn in this forum favored the odds of LCW beating LD, I am too. For LYB to want LD to go through, that was placing a huge leap of faith in a player who had not played for so long, rusty, lost in preparation match to WZM, forms unknown and facing the WR1 player who was totally prepared, fit and hungry to win this time. If I am LYB, I would want CL-LD to play all out in the first set and loser threw the 2nd and pray hard that DPY knocked out LCW. Both CL and LD earned that right to not be asked to forfeit their match.
Commentators on BWF are bias as. Especially GC and the other British young guy. I'm getting sick of them going on about pity little things like delay tactics talk. Badminton is probably one of the faster moving and knee hurting racquet sports. If tennis can give their stars chairs to sit on over long as breaks, why can't badminton give players a few seconds time to recharge over rallies. It's not like the new rally points system make the games go on for too long.
It was evident that LCW makes an effort to not get court attendants to wipe perspiration off the court just to avoid accusations of delay tactics, but the price he paid was obvious, slipping over a few times during the match. And you wonder why...