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 It
was called a "historical" victory in 1994 when Brazil
football team was crowned for the fourth time in Italy in World
Cup's over 70 years' history. If so, how could you measure China's
fourth successive Sudirman Cup champion in just six years?
"It's a miracle," Chinese head coach Li Yongbo said after
China beat Indonesia 3-1 to win the trophy here on Saturday.
But the miraculous feat was achieved under "unprecedentedly
difficult circumstances." Most of the veterans who competed
in the last Sudirman Cup in Copenhagen two years ago retired after
the Olympic Games, including Olympic champions Ge Fei and Gu Jun,
Chinese men's and women's number one Sun Jun and Ye Zhaoying, leaving
China had to pin their hopes on the first timers.
"Other title contenders Denmark, Indonesia and South Korea
all maintained their line-up for the Sydney Olympics," Li said.
"You can imagine how difficult it is to defend our champion."
However, youth eventually prevailed over experience. After 22-year-old
Cup debutante Chen Hong earned China a 2-1 lead after fighting off
ferocious challenge to beat Hendrawan in the men's singles, everybody
knows China will win the tie 3-1.
Chen, the beaten finalist in the All England championships early
this year, jumped to an 8-2 advantage in the first set, but faded
after that and saw his lead evaporate with world 15th-ranked Hendrawan
pulling it even at 9-9.
But Chen, 22, began to play a more physical game with the 29-year-old
rival and won 15-12 after exchanging service with the Indonesia
for nearly 10 times leading 14-12.
The second set was more dramatic when Hendrawan staged a brave
comeback trailing 10-5 and took the set 15-13 in 25 minutes. But
Chen controlled the third totally and won 15-10.
"Chen's confidence has been boosted after the semifinal and
group matches," Li said. "His victory is the most crucial
one today."
But it was the 23-year-old Olympic champion Gong Zhichao that sealed
China's 3-1 win in the women's singles. Gong, who smashed world
number one Camilla Martin of Denmark 15-1, 15-0 on Friday, crushed
Yuli Marfuah ruthlessly 11-2, 11-5 in just 22 minutes.
Li had expected the tie could be decided by the mixed doubles because
the men's doubles and singles were Indonesia's events. The two sides
were very likely to share the first four events. But the tie was
not dragged to that stage.
Indonesia opened a 1-0 lead after Olympic champion Tony Gunawan
and Candra Wijaya beat Zhang Jun and Zhang Wei 15-13, 15-1. But
China, who edged out Denmark 3-2 in the semifinal on Friday, levelled
the score at 1-1 as Gao Ling and Huang Sui easily beat Deyana Lomban
and Etty Tantri 15-1, 15-2.
"I believe the trophy will be kept in our hands in the next
two Sudirman Cup championships," Li said soon after lifting
babminton's most glorious team trophy on the top podium. "We
will be get stronger and the young players will grow mature."
"As for today's competition, all our shuttlers played smartly,"
Li said. "That's one of the secrets of creating the miracle."
The other one?
"We have chosen the right person for the right match,"
He said.
(People's Daily 06/03/2001)
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