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September 21, 2000

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Camilla Martin spoils the Chinese party

Mitch Phillips

Camilla MartinDenmark's Camilla Martin prevented an all-Chinese final in the Olympic badminton women's singles when she demolished Dai Yun 11-5, 11-0 in just 20 minutes in Thursday's semifinals.

In Friday's gold medal decider she will meet top seed and world number one Gong Zhichao who overcame compatriot Ye Zhaoying 11-8, 11-8.

Neither finalist has been taken to three games in their four matches in Sydney with the best anyone has managed against them being the nine points gained by Lidya Djaelawijaya of Indonesia against Gong in the third round.

Martin, seeded two, had beaten Dai in last year's world championship final in Copenhagen, scraping through in the third game.

But this time she looked in a different class and the gulf in performance and attitude was enormous in the second game whitewash.

With her boyfriend Peter Gade safely through to the semifinals of the men's singles things are going very nicely for Denmark's golden couple.

"Winning the World championships in Denmark and now at least an Olympic silver medal is wonderful," Martin said.

"Even if I lose tomorrow it's more than I could ever have hoped for."

Gong's victory over Ye in the all-Chinese clash was only her third in 12 meetings between the two but she was always in control.

Ye had no answer to Gong's speciality, an overhead drop shot played with heavy slice, which earned her a bagful of points, and she now heads into the final bidding to win China's first individual badminton gold.

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