Defending champions Lin Dan, Ratchanok power through
WUHAN: Defending champions Lin Dan and Ratchanok Inthanon cleared their opening hurdles to move into the second round of the Dong Feng Citroen Badminton Asia Championships here Wednesday.
Five-time world champion Lin Dan, the second seed here, had to go the distance before subduing Indonesian youngster Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 21-9, 14-21, 21-19 in 65 minutes. The Chinese double Olympic gold medallist will meet Vietnam's Nguyen Tien Minh next.
Topseed Chen Long had an easier match against South Korean Jeon Hyeon-jin, winning 21-14, 21-16. It was also a breeze for former world No 1 and third seed Lee Chong Wei, who extended his head-to-head count to 16-0 against China's Wang Zhengming. Chong Wei won 21-16, 21-14 win in 46 minutes.
Malaysia's former Asian and world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli pulled off an upset when he he dumped Hong Kong's world No 17 Wei Nan in a three-set thriller to win 21-12, 17-21, 21-18 wich lasted 72 minutes.
The win earned Zulfadli a second round clash against Chen Long. Chong Wei will play Hong Kong's Vincent Wong Wing Kit for a place in the quarter-finals. Wing Kit romped to a 21-18, 21-6 win over Indonesian youngster Ginting Anthony.
In the women's singles, Ratchanok, the new world No 1 after winning three Superseries titles in a row – the India Open, Malaysia Open and Singapore Open – was an easy 21-7, 21-11 winner over Malaysian qualifier Ho Yen Mei.
Sixth seed Wang Yihan was given a fright by Malaysia's top woman shuttler Tee Jing Yi. Yihan won 13-21, 21-12, 21-11.
There was also a surprise in the men's doubles when China's third seeds Chai Biao-Hong Wei were shown the exit in the first round, losing 25-27, 17-21 to Japanese pair Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda.
FIRST ROUND RESULTS (Afternoon session)
Men's singles
Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Wang Zhengming (Chn) 21-16, 21-14
Lin Dan (Chn) beat Ihsan Maulana Mustofa (Ina) 21-9, 14-21m 21-19
Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) beat Loh Kean Yew (Sin) 21-17, 21-14
Zulfadli Zulkifli (Mas) beat Wei Nan (Hkg) 21-12, 17-21m 21-18
Chen Long (Chn) beat Jeon Hyeon-jin (Kor) 21-4, 21-16
Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) beat Khosit Phetpradab (Tha) 21-14, 21-13
Boonsak Ponsana (Tha) beat Hsu Jen-hao (Tpe) 21-19, 21-13
Takuma Ueda (Jpn) beat Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Tha) 23-21, 21-18
Lee Dong Keun (Kor) beat K. Srikanth (Ind) 13-21, 21-12, 21-19
Vincent Wong Wing Kit (Hkg) beat Ginting Anthony (Ina) 21-18, 21-6
Men's doubles
Gideon Markus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) Wannawat Ampunsuwan-Tinn Isriyanate (Tha) 15-21, 21-14, 21-13
Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) beat Chai Biao-Hong Wei (Chn) 27-25, 21-17
Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang (Kor) beat Bao Minh-Bao Duc Duong (Vie) 21-7, 21-11
Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen (Chn) beat Chan Tsz-kit-Law Cheuk-him (Tpe) 21-12, 17-21, 21-16
Ko Sung-hyun-Shin Baek-cheol (Kor) beat Chrisnanta Danny Bawa-Hendra Wijaya (Sin) 21-14, 21-13Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) beat Bahaedeen Ahmad Alshannik-Naser Mansor Nayef (Jor) 21-12
Terry Hee Yong Kai-Loh Kean Hean (Sin) beat Goh V Shem-Tan Wee KIong (Mas) 18-21, 23-21, 21-19
Women's singles
Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) beat Ho Yen Mei (Mas) 21-7, 21-11
Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) beat Kim Hyo-min *Kor) 21-12, 21-8
Pai Yo-po (Tpe) beat Yui Hashimoto (Jpn) 17-21, 21-17, 21-18
Wang Shixian (Chn) beat Cheung Ngan-yi (Tpe) 21-18, 21-12P.V. Sindhu (Ind) beat Maria Febe Kusumastuti (Ina) 21-10, 21-13
Wang Yihan (Chn) beat Tee Jing Yi (Mas) 13-21, 21-12, 21-11
Sayaka Sato (Jpn) Hana Ramadhini (Ina) 21-12, 21-12
Women's doubles
Chang Ye-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) beat Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponappa (Ind) 21-15, 21-11
Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yanao (Jpn) Chan Kaka Tsz-ka-Yuen Sin-ying (Tpe) 21-15, 21-9
Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii (Ina) beat Thu Huyen Le-Nhu Thao Pham (Vie) 21-6, 21-16
Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei (Mas) w/o Tang Yuanting-Yu Yang (Chn)
