S. Korea, Denmark early winners in Sudirman Cup<\/p>\n
GLASGOW (AFP): South Korea and Denmark, playing their first
\nmatches in the Sudirman Cup, the team event of the World
\nBadminton Championships, beat England and Sweden by identical
\nmargins, 4-1 here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Denmark's win was more comfortable, however, because the one
\nrubber it conceded was a dead one -- and the manner of its
\nvictory was more impressive.<\/p>\n
Korea, twice former champions, was pushed a little harder. It
\nsuffered a real shock when Park Sung-woo, singles finalist in the
\nlast World Championships, was beaten 15-10, 17-15 by 32-year-old
\nDarren Hall as England tied the match at one apiece.<\/p>\n
Kim Dong-moon and Ra Kyung-min had had to battle really hard
\nto put the Koreans 1-0 up in the mixed doubles rubber.<\/p>\n
The English team of Simon Archer and Julie Bradbury came back
\nfrom a deficit of 7-14 to 13-14 before surrendering the opening
\ngame, saving five game points in the process.<\/p>\n
In the second, Archer and Bradbury led 9-5 and 10-7, but Kim
\nand Ra struck back with a display of dazzling badminton.<\/p>\n
Kim Ji-hyun's 11-5, 11-1 win over Julia Mann in the women's
\nsingles finally gave the Koreans the momentum to ease away to
\nvictory.<\/p>\n
After Denmark had taken a 2-0 lead over Sweden, Rikard
\nMagnusson briefly threatened to do for the losers what Hall did
\nfor England.<\/p>\n
He held a big lead in the first game against Thomas Stuer-
\nLauridsen. But once the Dane got into stride, Magnusson was
\noverwhelmed.<\/p>\n
Defeats for England and Sweden meant that they will have to
\ncontest the play-off on Friday to decide which of them is
\nrelegated to Division 2.<\/p>\n
In that Division, Malaysia looks a good bet for promotion into
\nthe elite group after it beat Russia 3-2, sealing its win in the
\nvery last point of the match.<\/p>\n
Law Pei Pei secured a remarkable win for the Malaysians in the
\nwomen's singles over Elena Sukhareva, winning 11-1 5-11 12-11.<\/p>\n
Other results<\/p>\n
China, the Cup holder, and Indonesia, its main rival, was
\nrampant in beating England and Sweden, respectively, in their
\nopening ties.<\/p>\n
Both won without conceding a rubber and the only game that
\nChina dropped was in the men's doubles, after the outcome was
\ndecided.<\/p>\n
In the women's singles rubber of that China - England match,
\nYe Zhaoying, the reigning World and All-England champion,
\ndemolished Julia Mann 11-0, 11-2 in 12 minutes, seizing the first
\ngame in just three.<\/p>\n
Sweden's defiance of Indonesia was confined to the men's
\nsingles in which Thomas Johansson, silver medalist in the
\nEuropean Championships three years ago, extended former World
\nchampion, Joko Suprianto, taking the first game.<\/p>\n
But Joko showed him no mercy in the second and third, winning
\nthem at the cost of only three and nine points.<\/p>\n
Thailand, relegated from the first division, damaged its
\nchances of going up against by losing its opening match against
\nGermany from a seemingly impregnable position.<\/p>\n
In the deciding rubber, the women's doubles, Somharuthai
\nJaroensiri and Thitikarnh led Karen Stechmann and Kerstin Ubben
\n12-8 in the final game, but could not drive home their advantage
\nand lost without being able to claim another point.<\/p>\n
The same group in the second division produced another
\nthriller, Chinese Taipei beating Japan, whose men must take the
\nmajor share of the blame for their defeat.<\/p>\n
Scotland strengthened its position in the 3rd division by
\nbeating Norway, but to justify its top seeding in its group, it
\nmust beat New Zealand, which was impressive in whitewashing
\nIndia.<\/p>\n
Results<\/p>\n
1st Division<\/p>\n
Group A: China bt England 5-0
\n Liu Yong\/Ge Fei bt Nick Ponting\/Julie Bradbury 15-7, 17-14
\n Dong Jiong bt Peter Knowles 15-9, 15-6
\n Ye Zhaoying bt Julia Mann 11-0, 11-2
\n Liu Yong\/Zhang Wei bt Chris Hunt\/Simon Archer 15-9, 10-15, 15-6
\n Qin Yiyuan\/Tang Yongshu bt Jpanne\/Donna Kellogg 15-4, 15-7.<\/p>\n
Group B: Indonesia bt Sweden 5-0
\n Sigit Budiarto\/Candra Wijaya bt Peter Axelsson\/Oar Gunnar Jonsson
\n15-8, 15-10
\n Eliza\/Zelin Resiana bt Marina Andrievskaya\/Catrine Bengtsson 15-
\n8, 17-15
\n Joko Suprianto bt Thomas Johansson 16-18, 15-3, 15-9
\n Mia Audina bt Margit Borg 11-7, 11-8
\n Tri Kusherjanto\/Minarti Timur bt Peter Axelsson\/Catrine Bengtsson
\n15-9, 17-14<\/p>\n
3rd Division<\/p>\n
Group B:
\n Scotland 5 Norway 0
\n New Zealand 5 India 0<\/p>",
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