Hidayat routs Lin Dan to capture world title
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-08-22 15:32

Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia blitzed world No 1 Lin Dan in straight games to win the world badminton championship men's singles title here on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Indonesian becomes the first man to hold the Olympic and World men's singles titles at the same time.

World No 6 Hidayat set the tone early by winning the first 13 straight points of the match en route to a 15-3, 15-7 victory in 36 minutes at the Arrowhead Pond arena.

This is the third career victory for Hidayat over Lin and comes just seven weeks after Hidayat beat Lin in the semi-finals of the Singapore Open.

Hidayat clinched the title with an arching overhead smash that froze Lin in his tracks.

Hidayat, who said it was his dream to become the first in history to hold both major titles, then dropped to his knees and cupped his face in his hands. He is also the reigning Asian Games champion.

The five-time Indonesian Open winner Hidayat beat Lin at his own game, overpowering the 21 year old from Fujian, China, with an overpowering smash and a selective net attack.

Hidayat defeated South Korea's Shon Seung-Mo 15-8, 15-7 to win the gold medal at the Athens.

He broke through here in his third Worlds. His best previous finish was a semi-final berth in 2001.

The last Worlds were Birmingham in 2003 where Hidayat was eliminated in the round of 16 by China's Bao Chunlai.

Hidayat is considered the bad boy of men's badminton and has been compared to tennis great John McEnroe because of his outbursts on the court. He received one yellow card in Anaheim for throwing his racket but he kept his cool in the final.

It was another shocking loss for Lin, who has held the world number one ranking since March 2004.

Lin was trying to end the top-seed jinx at the Worlds as only two top seeds have won the men's title since the first Worlds in 1977.

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