Denmark, China win Sudirman Cup opener

By Primastuti Handayani

COPENHAGEN (JP): Home favorite Denmark and defending champion China overcame an early scare to win their respective opening matches at the Sudirman Cup mixed badminton team championships at Brondby Hall on Monday evening.

Denmark defeated South Korea 3-2 in a Group B match between title contenders, thanks to a surprise win notched by the women's doubles of Rikke Olsen and Helene Kirkegaard. China eased past Malaysia 4-1 in Group A.

Playing before a crowd of 2,000, the new partnership of Olsen and Kirkegaard settled the issue beyond doubt by beating All England champions Ra Kyung-min and Chung Jae-hee 15-13, 15-10.

While the crowd gave a standing ovation to their heroines, Ra, who was seen several times complaining to her partner in the second set, went to the changing room, leaving a depressed Chung, who expressed disbelief at the loss.

Olsen used to partner with Marlene Thomsen while Kirkegaard teamed up well with Pernille Harder. The pairs are ranked world third and fifth respectively.

Denmark got off to a nervy start when the South Korean mixed duo of Kim Dong-moon and Ra Kyung-min, world top pair, beat the No. 6 pair of Jon Holst-Christensen and Ann Jorgensen 15-9, 15-7.

But world men's singles number one Peter Gade Christensen and his girlfriend Camilla Martin swept the two singles matches in style to put Denmark in command.

Gade Christensen barely broke a sweat in crushing Park Tae- sang, ranked 70, 15-0, 15-1 in only 18 minutes. Martin, ranked three, also had no troubled in taming world number 26 Lee Kyung- won 11-3, 11-6 in 31 minutes.

Denmark head coach, Kenneth Larsen, said: "I'm glad my athletes followed my instructions, especially Rikke and Helene who played really well. I told them to block the Korean offense on the net and step up pressure on them."

Han Won-joo, the Badminton Association of South Korea official in charge of international affairs, said: "We had hoped to win over Denmark to avoid China in the semifinals, but unfortunately we will likely have to face China."

Han blamed the loss on Chung, who looked nervous and committed too many mistakes in her Sudirman Cup debut. "She just could not escape from the pressure mounted on her," Han said.

In the indecisive men's doubles match, Korea's Kim Dong-moon and Ha Tae-kwon narrowed the gap with a 15-3, 15-6 win over fifth ranked Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen.

A victory over Sweden on Wednesday will put Denmark on top of the group.

Quick win

In the other match of the day, China showed why it was the winner of the last two championships as it sprinted to a 4-0 lead without losing even a set in the process.

China went 1-0 ahead when the mixed doubles team of Ge Fei and Zhang Jun gave a free lesson to Chan Choong Ming and Ang Li Peng, who lost 2-15, 5-15. World number two Sun Jun made short work of Chew Choon Eng, a men's doubles specialist, 15-7, 15-4 in the men's singles, while world number seven Gong Zhichao demolished Woon Sze Mei 11-1, 11-1.

Women's doubles pair of Huang Nanyan and Yang Wei proved too much for Lim Pek Siah and Joanna Swee Ling Quay and won 15-8, 15- 3.

Malaysia salvaged its pride with its men's doubles team of Lee Wan Wah and Choong Tan Fook posting a 15-9, 15-8 win over Zhang Jun and Zhang Wei.

China's head coach, Li Yongbo, said the win was crucial to guarantee it a semifinals berth.

"I think the Malaysians gave up early, even before competing. They don't field the best shuttlers," he said.

China's coach Tong Sin Fun, a former coach for the Indonesian national team, said the Malaysian team did not perform its best.

"We can see in the men's singles, Malaysia fielded a men's doubles player instead of one of their best singles, including Ong Ewe Hock or Yong Hock Kin," he said.

"Maybe they intentionally saved energy for tomorrow's match against Indonesia," Tong guessed.

Tuesday's match will feature Indonesia against Malaysia in Group A and Sweden against South Korea in Group B. (yan)

Results

Group A

Denmark 3 South Korea 2: Jon Holst-Christensen/Ann Jorgensen lost to Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min 9-15, 7-15; Peter Gade Christensen bt Park Tae-sang 15-0, 15-1; Camilla Martin bt Lee Kyung-won 11-3, 11-6; Rikke Olsen/Helene Kirkegaard bt Ra Kyung-min/Chung Jae-hee 15-13, 15-10; Jens Eriksen/Jesper Larsen lost to Kim Dong-moon/Ha Tae-kwon 3-15, 6-15

Group B

China 4 Malaysia 1: Zhang Jun/Ge Fei bt Chan Choong Ming/Ang Li Peng 15-2, 15-5; Sun Jun bt Chew Choon Eng 15-7, 15-4; Gong Zhichao bt Woon Sze Mei 11-1, 11-1; Huang Nanyan/Yang Wei bt Lim Pek Siah/Joanna Swee Ling Quay 15-8, 15-3; Zhang Jun/Zhang Wei lost to Lee Wan Wah/Choong Tan Fook 9-15, 8-15