Sun Yu ( Image above) of China handed reigning Olympics and world champion Carolina Marin of Spain a straight sets 21-18, 24-22 beating in their opening women's singles Group B match in the Dubai World Superseries Finals at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai on Wednesday.
However, Rio Olympics silver medallist P. V. Sindhu made a bright start in her first Superseries Finals with a determined performance, coming back from a set down to defeat Japan's hope Akane Yamaguchi in another Group B match.
The Indian lass, named this year's Most Improved Player, won the 63 minute battle 12-21, 21-8, 21-15.
Top seed and world No 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan had no trouble against China's He Bingjiao in her 21-16, 21-13 win.
Meanwhile, in the men's singles world No 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, making a comeback to competitive badminton since he picked up a hamstring injury in the Yonex Denmark Open in October was beaten 10-21, 16-21 by Korean second seed Son Wan-ho in a Group B match.
"I admit that I am not in good condition. I also made lot of mistakes and failed to get the feel of the tournament," said the 34-year-old Malaysian after the match. He next plays Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long on Thursday and must win to stay in contention for a place in the knockout round.
Only the top two in each group after the completion of the round robin matches will advance to the next round.
Top seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark got off to a winning start to his campaign in Dubai when he strolled past Hong Kong's Hu Yun 21-8, 21-5 in only 23 minutes.
Earlier in the morning Rio Olympics mixed doubles champions Tontowi Ahmad- Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia started their campaign on the wrong footing – losing to compatriots Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto in their opening Group A match.
Praveen-Debby, the reigning Yonex All England champions took only 23 minutes in their straight sets 21-11, 21-12 win over the Olympic champions who also won the Thaihot China Open and the Yonex Hong Kong Open. Tontowi-Liliyana had beaten Jordan-Debby in the Hong Kong Open final.
In another Group A match third seeds Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen upset top seeds Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na of Korea in three sets 21-14, 21-23, 21-16 in a 73-minute match.
In an all-China Group B match fourth seeds Zheng Siwei-Chen Qingchen defeated second seeds Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen 21-18, 16-21, 21-15 in 47 minutes.
Malaysia's world No 1 Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong, seeded second in Dubai, cleared their first hurdle in Group B men's doubles without lifting their racquets when they were given a walkover by Denmark's Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen.
Two-time runners-up Chai Biao-Hong Wei of China overcame compatriots Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen 21-18, 16-21, 21-15 in their opening Group B match.
Top seeds Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda of Japan lost their opening Group A men's doubles match 15-21, 17-21 to Denmark's Mads Conrad Petersen-Mads Pieler Kolding.
In the same group Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo defeated compatriots Angga Pratama-Rickey Karanda Suwardi 21-18, 17-21, 21-14 in ba 47 minute encounter.
RESULTS
Men's singles
GROUP A
Tian Houwei (Chn) beat Marc Zwiebler (Ger) 21-15, 21-17
Jan O Jorgensen (Den) beat Hu Yun (Hkg) 21-8, 21-5
GROUP B
San Wan-ho (Kor) beat Lee Chong Wei (Mas) 21-10, 21-16
Viktor Axelsen (Den) beat Angus Ng Ka Long (Hkg) 21-13, 21-17
Women's singles
GROUP A
Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) beat Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) 21-19, 21-12
Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) beat He Bingjiao (Chn) 21-16, 21-13
GROUP B
Sun Yu (Chn) beat Carolina Marin (Spn) 21-18, 24-22
P.V. Sindhu (Ind) beat Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) 12-21, 21-8, 21-15
Men's doubles
GROUP A
Mads Conrad Petersen-Mads Pieler Kolding (Den) beat Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) 21-15, 21-17
Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) beat Angga Pratama-Ricky Karanda Suwardi (Ina) 21-18, 17-21, 21-14
GROUP B
Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas0 w/o Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den)
Chai Biao=Hong Wei (Chn) beat Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen (Chn) 21-18, 16-21, 21-15
Women's doubles
GROUP A
Chang Ye-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) beat Luo Ying-Luo Yu (Chn) 21-19, 21-15
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Naoko Fukuman- Kurumi Yonao (Jpn) 21-19, 21-19
GROUP B
Kamilla Rhytter Juhl-Christinna Pedersen (Den) beat Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei (Mas) 21-7, 21-17
Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) beat Jung Kyung-eun-Shin Seung-chan (Kor) 21-18, 21-13
Mixed doubles
GROUP A
Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) beat Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na (Kor) 21-14, 21-23, 21-16
Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto (Ina) beat Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (Ina) 21-11, 21-12
GROUP B
Zheng Siwei-Chen Qingchen (Chn) beat Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) 21-18, 13-21, 21-14
Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock (Eng) beat Kenta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara (Jpn) 21-15, 21-9
