All England: Unheralded Contender Storms into Final
An unheralded world No.22 scripted the biggest underdog story of recent times at the All England, surging into the men’s singles final with a fearlessness that belied his pre-tournament status.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Not since Kenichi Tago 15 years ago has a similar long-shot contender scythed through the draw in this fashion.
Lee Chia Hao, only just beginning to make his presence felt on the circuit, cut through the defence of an opponent looking to make history as the first Frenchman in an All England final. Japan Open champion Alex Lanier was reckoned to be the favourite in the semifinal given recent form, but his opponent showed he was up to the occasion, delivering a performance of high pace and precision and great touch at the net.
“The victory hasn’t sunk in yet – I didn’t expect that I would do this well,” said the surprise finalist. “I’m so surprised by the result myself. In the first game I was just getting into it and I wasn’t as fast as my opponent. I was a bit passive and was able to execute my pre-game strategy only at the end. I was really into the game and didn’t want to think about winning or losing – I only wanted to enjoy the experience.