Paris:
World number four Chen Ji of China on Saturday knocked off the last remaining European opposition and asserted Asian domination as he scored an upset victory over Peter Hoeg Gade of Denmark to storm into the final of the World Badminton Championships here.
Chen Ji, a finalist at the last World Championships at Hyderabad, won 19-21, 21-8, 21-11 over his world number two opponent in the semifinal.
The Chinese shuttler lost the first game to Gade's attacking display but then came back strongly to control the proceedings. He easily outwitted Gade, who was looking tired, in the final two games.
"I have a lot of respect for Peter. I knew he played the first game really fast. For me it was better to bring the pace down and indulge in long rallies. I was lucky that my game was better in the last two games and I could beat him. Even though I have beaten him, I am a big fan of Peter," said Chen Ji after the match.
Confident after his victory, Chen Ji was hopeful of winning his second consecutive World Championships final. The last time in Hyderabad, he had lost to Lin Dan.
"Whoever I meet in the final I will give my best to ensure that China wins the men's singles title," he said.
Gade looked devastated and said he lost probably his last chance to win World Championships.
"At 33, I am not getting any younger. I thought I went really fast in the opening game and then I found that the shuttles were slow. I couldn't turn my game around. All credit to Chen Ji. He is a very strong player," he said.
Even though Gade won the first game 21-19, there were enough signs that the Chinese had enough gas in his tank to outlast the ageing Danish champion.
The second game was a rout at 21-8 as Chen Ji used the court and smashed at will to take the match to the decider.
It was apparent that Gade was tiring. Even though he did his best to keep pace with the Chinese, Gade's shots did not have the accuracy and neither were his placements good enough to stretch Chen Ji.
In the men's doubles, Malaysian pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong made it to the final after defeating Guo Zhengdung and Xu Chen of China in the semifinals in straight sets 21-14, 21-18.
They became the first Malaysian pair since the duo of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock in 1997, to qualify for the final of the World Championships.
Another non-Chinese final slot is guaranteed when Taufik Hidayat and South Korea's Sung Hwan Park play their men's singles semifinal.
Chen Ji, a finalist at the last World Championships at Hyderabad, won 19-21, 21-8, 21-11 over his world number two opponent in the semifinal.
The Chinese shuttler lost the first game to Gade's attacking display but then came back strongly to control the proceedings. He easily outwitted Gade, who was looking tired, in the final two games.
"I have a lot of respect for Peter. I knew he played the first game really fast. For me it was better to bring the pace down and indulge in long rallies. I was lucky that my game was better in the last two games and I could beat him. Even though I have beaten him, I am a big fan of Peter," said Chen Ji after the match.
Confident after his victory, Chen Ji was hopeful of winning his second consecutive World Championships final. The last time in Hyderabad, he had lost to Lin Dan.
"Whoever I meet in the final I will give my best to ensure that China wins the men's singles title," he said.
Gade looked devastated and said he lost probably his last chance to win World Championships.
"At 33, I am not getting any younger. I thought I went really fast in the opening game and then I found that the shuttles were slow. I couldn't turn my game around. All credit to Chen Ji. He is a very strong player," he said.
Even though Gade won the first game 21-19, there were enough signs that the Chinese had enough gas in his tank to outlast the ageing Danish champion.
The second game was a rout at 21-8 as Chen Ji used the court and smashed at will to take the match to the decider.
It was apparent that Gade was tiring. Even though he did his best to keep pace with the Chinese, Gade's shots did not have the accuracy and neither were his placements good enough to stretch Chen Ji.
In the men's doubles, Malaysian pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong made it to the final after defeating Guo Zhengdung and Xu Chen of China in the semifinals in straight sets 21-14, 21-18.
They became the first Malaysian pair since the duo of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock in 1997, to qualify for the final of the World Championships.
Another non-Chinese final slot is guaranteed when Taufik Hidayat and South Korea's Sung Hwan Park play their men's singles semifinal.
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