GLASGOW: Chinese top seeds Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen suffered a shock exit in the second round of the men’s doubles at the World Championships in Glasgow on Wednesday.
After a bye in the first round, the pair met their match in new Indonesian pairing Mohammad Ahsan and Rian Agung Saputro, who came from behind to win 19-21, 21-18, 21-18. “They were faster than us today,” reflected Liu. “And they did better in the long rallies.”
Li said he and his partner would draw on the experience for next time.
“We were unlucky to lose,” said Li.
“All three games were very close But this has been a good experience and we must just work harder and harder.”
Ahsan and Saputro have been together for just a year since teaming up after the Rio Olympics. “We are very happy,” said Ahsan. “We were confident we could beat the world number ones.”
On Tuesday, defending champion Chen Long started his campaign with a convincing win over Georges Julien Paul from Mauritius. The Chinese fifth seed downed his opponent 21-7 21-9 in 29 minutes.
Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen survived a scare from England’s Toby Penty before winning in three games while Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus lost to Chinese 10th seed Tian Houwei.
In the women’s draw, Japanese top seed Akane Yamaguchi beat Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt 21-6 21-13 in 30 minutes while fourth-seeded Indian Pusarla Sindhu beat South Korea’s Kim Hyo Min 21-16 21-14.
China’s Sun Yu, seeded fifth, powered past unseeded Indonesian Lyanny Alessandra Mainaky 21-13 21-9 in 47 minutes. She was joined in the second round by compatriot Chen Yufei. Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon overcame Malaysia’s Rui Chen Yap 21-12 21-7 while China’s Chen Xiaoxin defeated Canada’s Michelle Li 21-13 27-25. — Reuters
World championship results
Men’s singles (first round)
Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (INA) bt Mateusz Dubowski (POL) 21-12 21-14; Brice Leverdez (FRA) bt Lee Chong Wei (MAS x2) 21-19 22-24 21-17; Ng Ka Long Angus (HKG x9) bt Maxime Moreels (BEL) 21-9 21-12; Sai Pranneth (IND x15) bt Wei Nan (HKG) 21-18 21-17; Marc Zwiebler (GER) bt Bjorn Seguin (USA) 21-10 21-15; Chen Long (CHNx5) bt Georges Julien Paul (MRI) 21-7 21-9; Ajay Jayaram (INDx13) bt Luka Wraber (AUT) 21-14 21-12; Mark Caljouw (NED) bt Niluka Karunaratne (SRI) 21-17 21-6; Rosario Maddaloni (ITA) bt Pit Seng Low (AUS) 21-19 21-4 ; Tian Houwei (CHNx10) bt Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus (DEN) 21-14 17-21 21-16; Chou Tian Chen (TPEx6) bt Toby Penty (ENG) 21-13 10-21 21-14; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) bt Milan Ludik (CZE) 21-16 21-7; Viktor Axelsen (DENx3) bt Takuma Ueda (JPN) 17-21 21-6 21-13; Eetu Heino (FIN) bt Raul Must (EST) 22-20 16-21 21-15; Zvonini Durkinjak (CRO) bt Misha Zuberman (ISR) 21-14 21-19; Vladimir Malkov (RUS) bt Matthew Carder (SCO) 21-19 21-11
Women’s singles (second round)
Chen Yufei (CHNx9) bt Pai Yu Po (TPE) 21-13 21-14; Pusarla V Sindhu (INDx4) bt Kim Hyo Min (KOR) 21-16 21-14; Akane Yamaguchi (JPNx1) bt Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt (DEN) 21-6 21-13; Chan Xiaoxin (CHNx14) bt Michelle Li (CAN) 21-13 27-25; Sun Yu (CHNx5) bt Lyanny Alessandra Mainaky (INA) 21-13 21-9; Ratchanok Intanon (THAx8) bt Rui Chen Yap (MAS) 21-12 21-7; Beatriz Corrales (ESPx13) bt Luise Heim (GER) 21-16 21-19; Cheung Nigan Yi (HKGx13) bt Evgeniya Kosetskaya (RUS) 16-21 21-9 21-11
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