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Second-seeded Indonesians Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir lost 21-18, 23-25, 21-18 to unseeded Chinese pair Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei in the All England mixed doubles final on Sunday.

Zhang and Zhao, a new partnership not in the world top 100, joined the few unseeded players to have won the All England.

In their third Super Series tournament together, Zhang and Zhao completed their destruction of a stellar field by beating Nova and Lilyana. It followed their conquest of top-seeded compatriots Zheng Bo and Ma Lin in the second round, and announced them as a major threat for the forseeable future.

“The second round match was the toughest,” Zhang said. “Then after that it has been easier, and of course there has been no pressure of expectations.”

They did it in a marvelous 89-minute match in which the advantage fluctuated first one way and then the other.

The Chinese fought back from 17-12 and 18-14 down in the first game and 11-5 in the second. Nova brilliantly saved two match points, one with a great switch of direction across court, one with some potent smashing.

Generally, though, both pairs found it hard to ram attacks through in slow conditions, which made for some ingenious tactical variations and subtle changes of pace.

The variety was made all the more intricate by the fact both women were so strong there were occasions when both partnerships were able to play more like a conventional doubles pair, with the woman trying smashes from the back instead of the man.

As the match moved past the hour mark, the Chinese were slightly the more energetic pair. Lively attacks from Zhang and sturdy defense and sharp interceptions by Zhao got them back to parity at 14-14 in the third.

The two crucial moments came at 19-18 when Liliyana blocked one forecourt shot just wide, and lifted another long.



Agence France-Presse