Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang, the boyfriend-girlfriend badminton players who each sit atop the world rankings, became champions together at the All-England Open for the second successive year on Sunday.

Lin showed himself arguably the most popular of the many Chinese champions as he won his third All-England Open title in four years at the British national indoor arena.

The elastic and acrobatic left-hander received a great reception from the English crowd after his 21-13, 21-12 victory over his compatriot, Chen Yu, the sixth seed.

He got another one when he gave Xie a kiss by the podium when she received her trophy after winning 21-6, 21-13 against Pi Hongyang, the China-raised surprise finalist who now plays for France.

Xie's overwhelming win - the twig-thin champion with the brilliantly light movement looked the best player this week by an increasing distance - made her only the third woman since World War Two to have won three successive singles titles.

There was never any doubt that she would achieve it, and she agreed this was the best she had played. More of the questions, however, were directed towards her relationship with Lin.

Together they have now won ten titles, she believes, something which is of great value, because they are able to support, and console each other.

Asked what makes them so successful, she said: "Both of us are very good players and we have come up together.

The main thing is not to be nervous and to have the mental strength in the middle of a match to face the challenges.

"We are both mentally strong so it is not too difficult to achieve that. I hope that we will go on winning titles together throughout 2008 and 2009."

Lin reserved his most authoritative display for the final, having twice been taken the full distance earlier in the tournament, and having looked in real trouble in the third game of his quarter-final against Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

But now Lin has again made himself popular for his ability to project spectacular winners from difficult round-the-head positions, to play the rallies in a variety for different ways, and to express his feelings.

Several times he dived dramatically along the floor, once he queried a line decision with the umpire, and at the end he moved towards the crowd and applauded them before running back to embrace his opponent.

Afterwards he said he hoped to celebrate by doing some shopping, and on being told that shops close early on Sundays in the UK he joked: "I had better leave now then!"

Despite Lin also paying tribute to his British supporters, the final lacked passion and adrenalin, and was most notable for the great skill and easy movement of the two men, without any sense that either was digging deep emotionally to secure the victory.

Shortly afterwards Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, the top seeds in the men's doubles, failed to win back the title, losing the final 21-18, 21-15 to Malaysians Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong.

It prevented China from becoming the first nation of the open era to win all five titles, but they went on to emulate last year's achievement of four.

Wei Yili and Zhang Yawen won the women's doubles in an all-Chinese final, and Gao Ling retained her title with a new partner, Zheng Bo, in the mixed doubles, which provided the outstanding match of the day.

Gao and Zheng were a game and 3-7 down to Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg, the English pair, and within four points of defeat at 16-17 down with the home crowd creating a cauldron of noise, and still fought back.

Their 15-21, 21-18, 21-14 win was a reward for immense fighting qualities and superior physical durability in a contest which was nevertheless full of great skill and long and varied rallies.

It means that Zheng and Gao are unbeaten in four tournaments since coming together at the start of 2007, and are already looking the likely favourites for a gold at next year's Beijing Olympics.
 
(China Daily March 12, 2007)