Lin Dan (right) of China and Park Sung-hwan of the Republic of Korea will be front and center when the countries face off in the men's badminton team final on Monday. Xinhua / AFP

GUANGZHOU - Four-time Olympic gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima will be gunning for his maiden title in Guangzhou on Monday in the 100m breaststroke, after the Japanese star fell short of the podium in the 50m event that China's Xie Zhi won on Sunday.

Japan has lagged behind China in the first two days of the swimming competition and is desperate to regain traction in some of its signature events, the men's 50m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 800m freestyle relay.

"I don't know what to say," said Kitajima after he finished joint fourth in the 50m. "I'll try my best in the 100m breaststroke."

He is expected to face stiff competition from Iran's Mohammad Alirezaei Dizicheh, who tied him for fourth and is close to winning the first-ever swimming medal for his country at the Asian Games.

"First, I need to enter the final, and then I want to break the national record," Dizicheh said.

China is likely to start another gold rush on Monday after it accumulated 37 gold medals by Sunday night.

The Chinese shuttlers are going for two team golds on the badminton court, spearheaded by Lin Dan, whose men's team will take on the Republic of Korea (ROK) in a rematch of the 2006 Doha Asian Games final.

Meanwhile, the women's side is going for its fourth straight team title at the Asian Games. After avenging its Uber Cup loss to the ROK by blanking the Koreans 3-0 in the semis on Sunday, the Chinese women are expected to be unstoppable when they take on Thailand in the final. The Thais surprised Indonesia 3-1.

China's gymnasts will also be looking to keep their Japanese counterparts at bay and sweep the two golds for grabs in the men's and women's all-around competitions. While other titles may be heading the host's way in shooting, weightlifting and wushu, few are expecting miracles from the men's soccer team as it takes on the ROK for a spot in the semifinals at the 60,000-seat Tianhe Stadium in the early evening.

The ROK was the pre-Games favorite to win the competition before it, like China, lost its first match. Both countries went on to win their second games.

In the other quarterfinals, defending champ Qatar will face Uzbekistan, Iran will play Malaysia and Hong Kong takes on Oman as it strives to continue a run of good form that has seen it advance from the group stage of the competition for the first time in 52 years.

On the cricket field, a veritable battle of bowlers looms as unbeaten China faces Pakistan in a women's Group A match at Guangdong Cricket Stadium.

Fast bowler Mei Chunhua took three wickets in the opening match as China rolled over Malaysia, while offspinner Sana Gulzar of Pakistan bowled out four Thais to help her country to an eight-wicket victory.

On the baseball diamond, China will have its work cut out against an experienced Japanese side, but local tennis fans will take heart when the women line up against minnows Thailand for a place in the final of the team competition.

China Daily