ALL ENGLAND 2016 SF – Denmark all the way!

Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Joachim Fischer Nielsen definitively erased England’s last chance to appear in the final while Wang Shixian needed a long hour and eleven minutes to get rid of Tai Tzu Ying.

By Tarek Hafi, Badzine Correspondent live in Birmingham.  Photos: Badmintonphoto (live)

It would have been a first for both, but Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Joachim Fischer Nielsen (pictured) were the ones to grave the necessary tools and send the home pair Chris and Gabby Adcock (pictured below) out of the draw.

The tall Danes commenced their battle with some explosive play, ready to take on any loose shuttle and this led to a very high-paced game from the very first rallies. Given the nervousness their opponents might have been experiencing, it didn’t take too long for the world number six to grab the opening game 21-13.

“We talked about pressuring them from the beginning.  Even though they are the home pair, we have played in China, Malaysia, and Indonesia against their home players, so we’re used to those kind of situations,” confessed Joachim Fischer Nielsen in his post-match interview.

However, the second game offered some different perspectives.  With the Adcocks showing some great points, they dominated and opened up an impressive 19-11 lead, after which they earned themselves a cushion os five game points.

Despite the effort, the experienced Danish duo proved they were ready to take on any situation. Coming back level at 20-all, Christinna Pedersen beautifully deceived Gabrielle with a flick serve, automatically giving the Danish pair, a match point that was soon converted into a ticket to their first All England final.

“It is really hard to describe the feeling right now,” said the joyful Christinna Pedersen.  “It is our first All England final, which has been our main goal for years now.  We’re really happy to have found the right play, even though we were down in the second.”

The Danish pair are now set to meet Indonesia’s Debby Susanto and Praveen Jordan, who defeated the arch favourite, Zhao Yunlei and Zhang Nan.

A diva’s match

Wang Shixian (pictured) is getting closer and closer to securing her ticket to Rio.  Although she and two compatriots are neck and neck in the Olympic points race, she is working hard to not let another compatriot take her place, as happened four years ago for London.

In 2012, she was replaced by the slightly lower ranked Li Xuerui, showing that impressing the powers that be in China can be more important than points.  In Birmingham, she is going for both as she got the better of Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying in the All England semi-finals, despite the latter showing some of her most delightful and creative shots.

Despite losing the opening game by a tiny margin, the Chinese wonder went on to take the necessary next two games.  It was a win that will give Wang Shixian a chance to grab her third All England title and increase her chances to engrave her name in the road to Rio.

Things are looking even better for China in the men’s singles where, not so long after, her compatriot and legend Lin Dan, is still showing his great form and has qualified for his ninth All England final, where his team-mate, Tian Houwei will be waiting, after the latter defeated Hans-Kristian Vittinghus in three games.

Click here for complete semi-final results