Minor hiccup for defending champions
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China's Lin Dan returns the shot to Germany's Marc Zwiebler during the 2011 Sudirman Cup in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, May 22, 2011. The event started today. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) |
Defending champions China and inaugural winners Indonesia breezed through their opening matches in the 2011 Double Star BWF Sudirman Cup World Mixed Team Championships on Sunday but suffered minor hiccups along the way.
China crushed Germany 4-1 in Group 1A, but world No. 1 Wang Shixian was stunned 21-19, 21-16 by Germany's Juliane Schenk, who thus completed a hattrick of victories over Chinese players who have topped the women's rankings. Schenk had previously defeated Wang Yihan and Jiang Yangjiao.
Apart from Wang Shixian's loss, China flexed their muscles as they gave the near capacity crowd at the Qingdao Sports Centre Conson Stadium plenty to cheer about.
Xu Chen-Ma Jin gave the three-time defending champions the perfect start when they defeated Michael Fuchs-Birgit Michels 21-13, 21-11 and reigning Olympic and Asian Games gold medallist then hammered Marc Zwiebler 21-10, 21-16.
It was all over for Germany when world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng outclassed Ingo Kindervater-Johannes Schoettler 21-14, 21-9 but Schenk took some shine off their victory by beating Wang Shixian.
The women's pairing of Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei completed the rout by beating Birgit Michels-Sandra Marinello 21-12, 21-9.
Germany will now have to find a quick pick-me-up as they face Japan on Monday to keep alive their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
Indonesia, meanwhile, were given a scare when Vitalij Durkin-Nina Vislova upset Fran Kurniawan Teng-Pia Zebadiah Bernadet 24-22, 21-19 to give Russia a 1-0 lead in the Group 1B tie.
With Indonesia missing the likes of former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat, Olympic and Asian doubles gold medallist Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan and doubles specialist Liliyana Natsir, herself a former world champion, it was up to the younger members of the squad to pull Indonesia through.
In the end, they ran out comfortable winners but Russian team manager Stepin Maxin said he was proud of his team.
In other matches, South Africa beat Bulgaria 4-1, while the Philippines and Sri Lanka scored comprehensive 5-0 victories over Israel and Seychelles respectively.
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