World champion Lu falters at National Games

Newly crowned world champion Lu Lan of Jiangsu faltered in the women's singles second round at the 11th Chinese National Games here on Thursday.

Lu, 22, who was expected to celebrate her 23-year-old birthday in two days with a victory, lost to Li Wen of Hubei 19-21, 17-21.

"It was too slow for me to enter my normal form," said Lu in tears after the match, who was a seed and enjoyed a bye in the first round.

As Lu said, after she lost the first game 19-21, the second game proved to be lopsided as she trailed 0-4, 3-11 and 10-17. She managed to earn seven points before conceding to Li 17-21.

"I dearly wanted a win but I didn't prepare well for the match," said Lu. "It's really a big regret that I cannot do something after our success in team event. I had hoped to go as far as I can at the National Games but I never expected such an early loss."

Jiang lifted the women's team title earlier on Tuesday, which is their second title since 1993.

Sun Zhian, head coach of Jiangsu women's team, said that Lu was too nervous and made too many unforced errors.

Li Wen agreed with Sun's words. "She is obviously not in her best form."

Li, 21, who clinched the 2008 national junior title and only made her international debut in the China Masters this year, added that she had fulfilled her task.

"Now I am in the last eight so don't care if I can go a step further."

In the quarterfinals later, she will meet defending champion Jiang Yanjiao of the People's Liberation Army, who ousted Han Li of Sichuan in the second round.

Beijing Olympic fourth placer Lu proved her worth again in the world championships in India in August by taking women's singles title. However, she has been in unstable form since then, stumbling in the semis of China Masters and Japan Super Series.

As China's head coach Li Yongbo said, Lu is still no among the world mentally best and needs more sharpening.

Lu began to take up badminton when she was nine years old and was recruited into the Jiangsu provincial team two years later. In 2000, she entered the national reserve team and became one of the national team two years later.

Lu shot to fame in 2004 when she secured a world junior silver medal. In 2005 Japan Open and Malaysia Open, Lu twice beat Olympic runner-up Mia Audina-Tjiptawan of the Netherlands and thus became a household name.

Source:Xinhua