Malaysian star Lee Chong Wei crashed out of the world badminton
championships yesterday while China's formidable shuttlers also
suffered shock defeats in a day of upsets.
Lee, the world No 3, was trounced 21-11, 21-9 by Indonesian Sony
Dwi Kuncoro, whose aggressive attacks left the Malaysian
struggling.
Just minutes later, China's two-time defending champion Xie
Xingfang was dumped from the women's competition by Malaysia's Wong
Mew Choo. The tenth seeded Malaysian, spurred on by a raucous home
crowd, surprised the world No 2 with a powerful performance to win
21-10, 21-8 and book herself a place in the quarterfinals.
?
Xie Xingfang
The match had been expected to be routine for the All-England
champion Xie, but China's stranglehold on these championships was
severely tested yesterday.
Earlier, third seed Chen Jin was knocked out by Singapore's
Ronald Susilo, who had a sharp warning for the Chinese about
complacency.
"The Chinese players are very dominant. Everybody has the
motivation to beat them and I am among them, because I want to
prove that other countries can also compete," said Susilo.
Susilo, seeded ninth, downed Chen 21-19, 21-14 with contrasting
overhead jump shots and delicate net play.
The surprise results made a mockery of the seedings and came
just one day after Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat, the Olympic
champion, was dumped in the second round by unheralded Anup Sridhar
from India.
But it was not all doom and gloom for the Chinese.
World No 1 Lin Dan of China advanced to the quarters despite
earlier watching his girlfriend Xie's exit.
Lin, the defending champion, bested Dicky Palyama from the
Netherlands 21-18, 21-17.
China's fourth seed Bao Chunlai also went through to the next
round, downing South Korea's Lee Hyun-ii 21-19, 21-11.
Other men through included Denmark's Peter Gade, who survived a
tough fight against Indonesia's Simon Santoso. Fifth seed Gade
fought back from one set down to win 18-21, 21-15, 21-16.
On the women's side, China's world No 1 Zhang Ning went through
after she trounced Maria Kristin Yulianti of Indonesia. Zhang, the
Olympic champion, said she has yet to be extended here but was
focusing on "one match at a time."
Zhang now faces Commonwealth Games champion Tracey Hallam of
England, who fought a tough battle against Russia's Ella Karachkova
before holding on for a 21-23, 21-15, 21-19 victory.
Hong Kong suffered a blow when Asian Games silver medallist Yip
Pui-yin went down fighting against China's Zhu Lin.
In doubles action, China's No 1 pairing Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili
defeated South Korea's Lee Kyung-won and Lee Hyo-jung 21-14,
21-19.
Defending champions Gao Ling and Huang Sui, China's number two
pair, also walked into the quarters over Denmark's Lena Frier
Kristiansen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl, 21-5, 21-15.
In men's doubles, defending champions Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun
trounced Russia's Vitalij Durkin and Alexandr Nikolaenko 21-10,
21-9.
Their greatest challengers are Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat and Tan
Boon Heong, who were to take to the courts later yesterday.
(China Daily via AFP August 17, 2007)
