New Delhi: Indonesia's Tommy Sugiarto today earned the prized scalp of five-time World Champion Lin Dan, notching up a stunning three-game win over the Chinese legend to reach the semifinals of the India Super Series badminton tournament here on Friday.
Former world no 3, Sugiarto scraped past the two-time Olympic champion 21-17 15-21 21-17 in a gruelling match to silence the vociferous crowd who were chanting 'Lin Dan' 'Lin Dan' in support of the Chinese star at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.
"You know who Lin Dan is. He is a legend in badminton. I had lost to him thrice so I had to come up with my best as I know Lin Dan's game," Sugiarto said still feeling out of breath after battling for an one hour and 18 minutes.
"He is a superstar wherever he goes. The crowd was backing him so I had to motivate myself and concentrate point after point. I am happy, this is one of my best wins," he added.
Talking about Lin Dan's game, Sugiarto said: "I think he has changed his game in the last few years. His game was more of speed power but he has more accuracy. For me I had to match his accuracy.
"I think at 15-all, Lin Dan lost his concentration. He made a lot of mistakes."
Asked what is the most difficult thing facing Lin Dan, he said: "He is extremely confident. So I had to come up with my best game.
"He is a special player. Sometimes he is at his best and sometimes he doesn't give his best."
