PETALING JAYA: Will there ever be a rivalry quite like Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei’s in the All-England?
Most believe it will be quite impossible for now, or even in the near future.
From 2004-2018, either or both Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei contested in 14 of the 15 finals of the world’s oldest badminton tournament.
Lin Dan was dominant for a while starting from 2004 before Chong Wei stepped into the ring as one of Super Dan’s worthy opponents.
Overall, Lin Dan had more titles, six to his name while Chong Wei etched his name in four.
The Malaysian could have been more dominant in 2015-2016 but a doping offence saw him banned for eight months.
For now, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark seems to be more consistent than the rest of the field in the men’s singles.
The defending champion is out to win his third All-England title, having also won the 2020 edition.
It will be a bore if one player continues to dominate but some say it will also create excitement as others are using the 29-year-old Dane as the benchmark and will go all out for his scalp. After all, age is also catching up on Axelsen in the physically demanding game.
Thailand Kunlavut Vitidsarn’s superb win over Axelsen at the Indian Open has whetted his appetite for more.
Chong Wei admits there are no exciting rivalries in the men’s singles right now.
“Kunlavut has the potential to give Viktor a fight more regularly ... that’s the only name I can think of so far,” said Chong Wei, who won his first All-England title in 2010 when the tournament celebrated its 100th year.
“For now though, I don’t see any two or three singles players being dominant.”
Former great Datuk James Selvaraj echoed the same sentiment.
“I don’t see any two players dominating the All-England now the way Chong Wei and Lin Dan did during their playing days,” he said.
“Viktor is the most consistent player now and I believe that he alone can dominate the tournament.
“There are several other rising stars like Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, Kunlavut and India’s Lakshya Sen, who are trying to challenge him but they still lack consistency.
“2021 winner and independent player Lee Zii Jia also has everything in him to succeed but does not have a capable team to assist him.’’
It’s different in the women’s singles, as there is a keen tussle among these players – Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, An Se-young of South Korea, Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan, Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao of China and India’s P.V. Sindhu – which makes it interesting.
“I believe that Yamaguchi and Se-young could dominate and create a strong rivalry in the women’s singles as they have reached many finals together this year,” said James.
The duo reached the Malaysian, Indian and German Opens finals this year.
Yamaguchi triumphed in the Malaysian and German Opens while Se-young came out on tops in the Indian tourney.
