(By Steve Hopkins, photo WTT)
Anders Lind headed the penultimate day with a 4-3 upset victory over World No. 1 Lin Shidong and reached the semi-final of the WTT Champions Series event in Macao. Shidong was a cruise and won his previous two games 3-0. In fact, Shidong led 1-0 and 2-1 before Lind knew two straight 12-10 victories to get his first lead. Shidong then answered with a dominant 11-2 sixth game to bind the score, but 4-6 down in the last game, Lind was great. A large forehand up to 5-6 (Lind is Lefty so his Cross-Court-Lus went to/through the backhand of Shidong). Two great defensive shots and then a surprising flat backhand winner from the middle to bring it to 6-6. Another major role of Lind and then a flat attack from the counter gives him a 7-6 lead. A few tight returns leave the two trade points, but then a few misses from Shidong (one floating long, and then a service returns to the net) and his Lind comes from behind in the last game to win six of the last seven points to close the victory.
Lind will be confronted tomorrow with Hugo Calderano in the Semis. Calderano was 4-2 on Saturday afternoon Patrick Franziska to hit his ticket to the semi-final. In the other half of the draw, the World No. 2 Wang Chuqin with a 4-0 win over Lin Yun-Ju and Jang Woojin who won 4-2 over Benedikt Duda.
On the women’s side, Adriana Diaz had a nice run to the quarters, but fell to the world no. 1 Sun Yingsha 4-1. Diaz had a tough draw and still succeeded in World no. 23 Sofia Polcanova and World No. 5 Wang Yidi to beat before he goes to the world no. That is of course world no. 1 versus World No. 4 and World No. 2 versus World No. 3, so being “all-china” is not really a surprise.
More promotion on tap for Sunday.
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