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Lin downed by Bao in China Open

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-10-22 11:13

BEIJING - Bao Chun Lai got some measure of revenge for his defeat in the final of the world championships last month when he dumped Lin Dan out of the semi-finals of the China Open with a 18-21 21-19 21-10 victory on Saturday.

China's world number one Lin, who won the Japan Open title last week, looked to be cruising to the final of the $250,000 six star tournament in Guangzhou when he won the first set and took a 17-9 lead in the second.

Bao, however, stormed back with six straight points and took the set and that seemed to knock the stuffing out of Lin, who made a series of errors in giving up the final set and the match.

The 23-year-old Bao will play Chen Hong in an all-Chinese final on Sunday after the world number seven also came back from a set down to upset Chen Jin 14-21 21-15 21-17.

China's defending champion Zhang Ning reached the final of the women's singles with a 21-13 21-14 victory over Hong Kong's Wang Chen and will play Yao Jie after the Chinese-born Dutchwoman beat Japan's Kaori Mori 21-17 21-19 in the other semi.