Ji Xinpeng Smashes Past Champion Gade

World number one and defending champion Peter Gade bowed out in the quarter-finals of the All England badminton championships on Friday to number eight seed Ji Xinpeng, the Chinese winning 15-17 15-2 15-5, China Daily reported on March 11.

It was a big blow for the Dane in an Olympic year but there was no fluke about it. The 22-year-old Chinese had led 14-11 in the first set only for Gade to save four game points and eventually take it 17-15

There was some consolation for him from earlier in the evening when his fianc¨Ĥe Camilla Martin, the world champion, survived a series of scares to claim her semifinal place in the women's singles with a 10-13 11-8 11-9 victory over fifth seed Gong Ruina of China.

But top-seeded Gade could not hide his own feelings after falling to anther of the seemingly endless talents emerging from Asia.

The pair had met on four previous occasions with the Dane winning every time but it was clear from early on it was going to be a major struggle.

Other semifinal places went to last year's beaten finalist Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, Taiwan's Fung Permadi and China's Xia Xuanze. Ji plays Xia to ensure a Chinese presence in Sunday's final.

Martin remains Europe's only singles hopes but faces a tough task, not least the prospect of possible final with Mia Audina, back to her best after a spell away from the sport.

The ex-Indonesian now playing for the Netherlands, conqueror of defending champion Ye Zhaoying on Thursday, booked her place in the last four with a comfortable 11-3 11-7 win over Denmark's Mette Sorensen and bigger things beckon.

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