Champions China off to a winning start in Sudirman Cup
Ten-time champions China cleared their first hurdle in defence of the Sudirman Cup with a 4-1 win over Hong Kong in their opening Group 1A match at the Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia on Sunday.
Two other matches in Group One also ended with 4-1 margins. Japan, runners-up at the last edition of the World Mixed Team Championships got the better of Germany in Group 1C while three-time champions South Korea registered a similar score against Russia.
China, however, received a jolt in the last tie of their match against Hong Kong when their mixed doubles pair of Chen Qingchen-Zhen Siwei came unstuck against Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet. The Chinese, who won the first set 21-10, lost the next two 16-21, 18-21 in a 47-minute encounter.
Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan gave China a flying start by taking the first point when they won the men's doubles 21-15, 26-24 against Law Cheuk Him-Reginald Lim Chun Hei before Sun Yu, the world No 6, came through a 21-12, 21-13 win over Fah Ka Yan in the women's singles for a 2-0 lead.
Five-time world champion and two-time Olympics champion Lin Dan, 33, was too strong for Hu Yun (No 14) with the world No 7 registering a 21-14, 21-13 win in the men's singles for China's third point.
Bao Yixin-Tang Jinhua beat Ng Tsz Yau-Yeung Nga Ting 21-11, 21-13 in the mixed doubles to put China 4-0 up before the jolt in the mixed doubles.
The Russians shocked the Koreans to take the first point and this was in the men's doubles. Former All-England champions Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov overcame Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae 21-18, 21-18 in 38 minutes.
However, world No 5 Sung Ji-hyun made it all square for the Koreans when she thrashed Evegeniya Kosetskaya 21-10, 21-13 in the women's singles before Jeon Hyeok-jin made it 2-1 for his team in the men's singles, winning 21-6, 21-13 against Sergey Sirant.
It was smooth sailing for the Koreans in the women's doubles and mixed doubles.
Japan were 2-0 up against Germany after Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (men's doubles) and Nozomi Okuhara (women's singles) won their matches before Kenta Nishimoto fell to a shock 8-21, 18-21 defeat to Marc Zwiebler in the men's singles.
However, Olympic champions Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi responded with an easy 21-11, 21-6 win over Linda Efler-Lara Kaepplein in the women's doubles for a 3-1 lead. Kenta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara completed the rout in the mixed doubles.
Group One will see 12 teams battling for the title in the mixed team championships. The top two teams in the four sub-groups will advance to the quarter-finals.
RESULTS
GROUP 1A
China beat Hong Kong 4-1
(China first)
MS: Lin Dan beat Hu Yun 21-14, 21-13
MD: Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan beat Law Cheuk Him-Reginald Lim Chun Hei 21-15, 26-24
WS: Sun Yu beat Fah Ka Yan 21-12, 21-13
WD: Bao Yixin-Tang Jinhua beat Ng Tsz Yau-Yeung Nga Ting 21-11, 21-13
XD: Chen Qingchen-Zheng Siwei lost to Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet 21-10, 16-21, 18-21
GROUP 1B
S. Korea beat Russia 4-1
(Korea first)
MS: Jeon Hyeok-jin beat Sergey Sirant 21-6, 21-13
MD: Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae lost to Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov 18-21, 18-21
WS: Sung Ji-hyun beat Evgeniya Kosetskaya 21-10, 21-13
WD: Jun Kyung-eun-Kim Ha-na beat Ekaterina Bolotova-Alina Davletova 21-7, 21-17
XD: Chae Yoo-jung-Choi Solgyu beat Evgenia Dimova-Evgenij Dremin 21-14, 21-12
GROUP 1C
Japan beat Germany 4-1
(Japan first)
MS: Kenta Nishimoto lost to Marc Zwiebler 8-21, 18-21
MD: Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda beat Mark Lamsfuss-Marvin Evil Seidel 21-12, 21-19
WS: Nozomi Okuhara beat Yvonee Li 21-10, 21-5
WD: Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi beat Linda Efler-Lara Kaepplein 21-11, 21-6
XD: Kenta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara beat Isabel Herttrich-Mark Lamsfuss 21-17, 13-21, 21-16
GROUP 2A
Vietnam beat New Zealand 4-1
Canada beat Scotland 3-2
GROUP 3A
New Caledonia beat Guam 4-1
GROUP #B
Sri Lanka beat Fiji 5-0
Slovakia beat Tahiti 5-0
Related Article
World and Olympic Champions Competing at the BAMTC 2023
Job Vacancy: Chief Operating Officer
