Michelle Li books spot in Pan Am Games badminton semifinal

MARKHAM, Ont. - Michelle Li had a legitimate fight on her hands Monday night.

Down 13-6 against sixth-seeded Brazilian Lohaynny Vicente in the second set, the Canadian badminton veteran faced her first challenge of these Pan Am Games. Prior to the quarterfinals, Li had yet to drop a set. It took grit and wlll as she launched a comeback in front of a raucous hometown crowd that roared with every point as she levelled the scores at 17-17. Once she dissolved her defcit, the win seemed inevitable and Li claimed the second set 21-18, going on a 15-4 run with an eclectic mix of deft drop shots and pounding baseline drives.

Ram Nayyar, head coach for the Canadian national team, was full of praise for Li and her effort to wrest control of the second set to finish off her toughest match so far at these Games. 

“Michelle continues to mature and get stronger and not give up, " he said. "She has performed very well. Remember, she is in two events and playing a lot of badminton.”

At the 2011 Guadalajara Games, in her Pan Ams debut, Li won gold medals in singles and doubles. One year later in London, she finished fourth to give Canada its best-ever finish in badminton at the Summer Olympics. Last summer in Glasgow, she won gold at the Commonwealth Games. Li also reached the quarterfinals at the prestigious All-England Open which boosted her world singles ranking to a career-high No. 11.

The 5-foot-6 Li now faces Jamie Subandhi from the United States in a knockout semifinal and the winner will play for gold on Thursday. Helping Li’s Pan Am Games campaign is the fact she won’t have to play No.13-ranked Beiwen Zhang of the United States, her feared foe, who couldn’t play in the tournament due to citizenship issues.

Li is to badmintion what Christine Sinclair is to women's soccer in Canada. At 23 years old, she’s Canada’s most decorated badminton player. And she’s only going to improve. She is badminton’s pin-up girl and Canada's most gifted player. It’s been a clinical run at the Pan Am Games so far. 

“She is in good spirits and playing well. Her past performances provide that necessary evidence," he said. "She has a certain pressure in that she is the top seed, but I do think the home crowd is a real inspiration for her and is propelling her forward at the same time providing the balance she needs.“