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Chinese Shuttlers Shine at Badminton Worlds
Chen Yu produced a surprise by eliminating world number 10 Richard Vaughan of Wales as all Chinese players advanced to the second round on the opening day of the world badminton championships Tuesday in Seville.
The unseeded Chen, who is competing in the world championships for the first time, scored a straight-set victory 15-10, 15-7 over the Welsh, setting up a second round clash with Wong Choong Hann of Malaysia, who beat Arturo Ruiz of Spain 15-7, 15-8.
"I feel in a good form today," Chen said after the match. "I don't think it's a surprise, but I will not set too high a goal. I just want to play my best."
Chen's compatriot Xia Xuanze, winner of last year's All England championships, survived a second-set scare before defeating Vladislav Druzchenko of Ukraine 15-10, 15-17, 15-10.
The ninth seed failed to get a chance to play in Chinese team in winning their fourth successive Sudirman Cup mixed team champion last week.
Chinese head coach Li Yongbo said: "If Druzchenko was a little more patient in the third set, he could have beaten Xia."
World number four Chen Hong, who claimed a decisive point to help China lift the Sudirman Cup, beat Tijitte Weistra of the Netherlands 15-7, 15-9 while Ji Xinpeng, who has slipped from top place to 11th in the world rankings after winning the Olympic champion in Sydney, knocked out another Dutch player Rune Massing 15-6, 15-4.
The five Chinese women, led by Olympic champion Gong Zhichao, all cruised to the second round without meeting any challenge.
Gong Zhichao, also two time All England champion, easing past Thailand's Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn 11-3, 11-1 in just 26 minutes.
The fifth seed is desperately hoping to add the world women's singles title to her Olympic champion. She has won all the major international competitions but the world championships.
After her former teammate and two time world champion Ye Zhaoying retired late last year, she is the hottest of the hot favorites of winning the women's title.
She has shown superb form last week in her two appearances in the Sudirman Cup, including a 11-1, 11-0 rout of defending champion and world number one Camilla Martin of Denmark when China beat Denmark in the semifinal.
Gong's fellow Chinese Dai Yun, seeded 14th, humiliated Maja Pohar of Slovenia 11-0, 11-0 while third seed Gong Ruina routed Katarzyna Krasowska of Poland 11-2, 11-3.
Second seed Zhou Mi beat Chan Ya-Lin of Chinese Taipei 11-8, 11- 4 and eight seed Zhang Ning disposed of Germany's Juliane Schenk 11-2, 11-0.
In the day's other matches, top seed M. Roslin Hashim of Malaysia defeated Shyam Abhinn Gupta of India 17-15, 15-5; second seed Peter Gade of Denmark beat Oliver Pongratz of Germany 15-10, 15-13, third seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia ousted Dicky Palyama of the Netherlands 15-8, 15-4.
South Korea's Shon Seung Mo, seeded 15th, became the day's second seed to crash out following Vaughan's exit as he was eliminated by Malaysia's Lee Tsuen Seng 15-10, 17-16, 15-7.
On the women's side, Martin started her title defence by beating South Korea's Jun Jae Youn of South Korea 11-4, 11-6; Fourth seed Marina Andrievskaya of Sweden breezed past Manjusha Kanwar of India 11-3, 11-3.
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