China

Chinese shuttlers clear hurdles in Malaysia Open

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-01-17 16:55

KUALA LUMPUR - Chinese badminton players cleared the initial hurdles in the first round of competitions in the Proton Malaysia Super Series 2007 as no one was kicked out in the morning and early afternoon matches.

In the mixed doubles, Chinese players Gao Ling and Zheng Bo beat German pair Kindervater Ingo and Piotrowski Katrin and entered the second round of competitions.

Gao and Zheng played a quite easy game in their encounter with the German pair, overcoming them 21-10, 21-5.

Zhao Tingting and Zhang Jun also fought an easy fight with their Russian rivals, finishing their encounter in 23 minutes in a score of 21-19, 21-13.

In the women's singles, Zhu Lin from China also swiftly finished her encounter with Nieminen Anu from Finland with 21-13, 21-13.

However, in the men's singles, Chinese player Chen Yu met a strong opponent from the Netherlands and almost lost his hope to proceed in the Malaysia Open. Yet, he finally knocked out Palyama Dicky with 20-22, 21-14,21-20.

In the women's doubles, Chinese players Gao Ling and Huang Sui lost their first set when they met Japanese Akao Aki and Matsuda Tomomi, but managed to come back in the next two sets, overcoming their Japanese rivals 21-6, 21-14.

In the men's doubles, Chinese Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun conquered Danish Boe Mathias and Joachim Fischer Nielsen 21-15, 12-21, 21-10.

China's world top-ranked player Lin Dan would fight his strong Indonesian rival Hidayat Taufik later on Wednesday, which was believed to be a clash of titans in the Malaysia Open this year.