Gopi destroys 21-year bogey with All England win

Birmingham/Bangalore, 11 March 2001:

PULLELA Gopichand won badminton's most prestigious prize when he beat Chen Hong of China 15-12, 15-6 in the final of the All England badminton championships on Sunday.

A little over an hour before that, as Gopi made his way to the centre court of the National Indoor Arena, he was being watched, thousands of miles away at Bangalore, by Prakash Padukone, who had done what Gopi sought to do - win the title.

"Gopi should use the flicked toss, you know?" he was telling a guest at his flat. "Not too high, not too flat either, and make him play at the net. Chen is not too good at the net."
Twenty-one years had passed since Prakash took the All England title. Since then the search for a successor has been desperate. Nobody had measured up.
Now here he was, Pullela Gopichand, in sight of something only Prakash had done for India.

But Prakash watches, nevertheless, with a deadpan face, perhaps a mite pensive, resting his chin on his right hand, looking as if trying to figure out a quiz show on the TV.
The first few points shuttle across; Gopi goes 2-0 ahead, Chen then pulls up and ahead at 5-3. Gopi seems a little ratty, looks up at the lights.

"He's a little nervous now, should get over it. It's probably to with the lights… he should create openings at the net. Use the flicked toss, half-smash, net dribble… get the opponent reaching front and lifting the shuttle, you know."

But the student's problems are continuing despite his master's advice; Gopi is down 3-7.
He gets back with a drive to Chen's body ("Yeah, like this") and comes 6-7 when the Chinese flicks long.

But the 22-year-old Chen delivers a trademark jump smash (8-6), then shows finesse with a drop that Gopi dives for but fails to connect (9-6), and a crosscourt smash gives him 10-6, and then 11-6 ("See… how he attacks Gopi's backhand?").

11-6, and it should've been good-bye to the Indian's hopes for the first game. But this Indian is not just another Indian; his deception is causing hell for the Chinese. He has played a 1 hour 56 minute match on Saturday, and Gopi knows the longer he keeps the shuttle in play, the more difficult he would make life for his opponent.

So he claws to 9-11, and after serve has shifted twice, comes to 9-11.
Chen, serving at 12-10, makes perhaps the fatal error with a service foul. That's the only invitation Gopi needs. His serves are tossed high, forcing his opponent to backpedal; he pounces at the net to knock a winner, makes it 12-12, maintains a brilliant length on his dribble, forcing the Chinese to net it, and then delivers a high-voltage smash to go game point ahead.
And when Chen sends his crosscourt forehand long, Prakash says an emphatic "Yeah!" and claps.

Now Prakash is telling his guest: "…so that's what he has to do… play at the net, attack his forehand; Chen is good at the overhead, so he should not be giving him that."
And a little later: "...yes, we Indians are better at the net dribbles; we have more supple wrists… that was one of my strengths as well…"

Meanwhile, Gopi has raced to a 4-1 lead, but the Chinese fights back with his high jump smashes and comes to 3-4. This time it's a long rally, but the Indian loses the point. "Doesn't matter," says Prakash. "It's good for him to rally. They (the Chinese) get tired, you know."
Chen goes 5-4 up, then loses serve, and Gopi levels.

Six times the serve changes hands with the points remaining the same. Gopi finally breaks away by stretching to connect a high toss, and drops the shuttle right in front of the net.

From here on he motors ahead like a man possessed; suddenly it is 12-5. Chen breaks serve, but the Indian is in no mood to give favours; he breaks right back with a net dribble.
Then comes probably the most spectacular point of the match. Chen smashes from middle of the court, but Gopi picks it up with a backhand that catches his opponent by surprise, his weak return is deftly killed.

His next point is a smash to Chen's forehand court ("See? This is what I meant.") that loops the shuttle up for him to finish with a crosscourt forehand.

Chen manages to up the score to 6-13 with an angled smash, but Gopi gets a favourable netcord and it's 13-6 again.

A long wait to towel. Prakash turns to his guest: "That's good, he's taking his time. Many players want to finish off the two points, and they make mistakes."

A high spectacular jump smash, and it's match point.

An Indian holding match point at 15-12, 14-6 at the All England Championships, the holy grail of badminton.

The man who has done it twenty-one years ago watches, a little tense.

A long rally. Tosses back and forth. A high toss, the Indian decides to leave it at the last moment. It falls out. He raises his hands.

And thousands of miles away, Prakash jumps from the couch and claps. A wan smile. Student has emulated master.