A day of upsets as four top seeds come a cropper in Nanjing

THE curse of the top seeds struck in the World Championships when Viktor Axelsen of Denmark crashed to a straight games loss to two-time champion Chen Long of China in the men’s singles quarter-finals.

Axelsen, who is the defending champion was the fourth top seed to fall on a day of upsets at the Youth Olympic Sports Park Arena in Nanjing yesterday.

Earlier, the top women’s singles player Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan, who was unbeaten in 31 consecutive games, lost to World No. 6 He Bingjiao of China while Indonesia’s doubles pair of Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo-Marcus Finaldi Gideon, the number one seeds lost to Japan’s Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda.

The top seeds in women doubles, China’s Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan succumbed to straight games loss to Greysia Polli and Apriyani Rahayu of Indonesia.

For 24-year-old Axelsen, the “Great Wall of China” proved a tough to crack for his bid for a successful title defence after he lost to Chen Long in the quarter-finals. Axelsen went down 19-21, 11-21.

It was his 11th defeat in 13 encounters with Chen Long.

“He played better than I did. I have lost to a better player,” said Axelsen.

“But I’m more disappointed with the way I lost the match. I made mistakes at crucial times.

“It’s definitely disappointing (to have failed to defend title), but life goes on.”

The road to the final in Nanjing was tricky from the start for Axelsen, having being drawn in the same half with all four Chinese players including five-time champion Lin Dan and Shi Yuqi, whom he would have to meet if he made the semi-finals.

He defeated Huang Yuxiang in the second round.

China are now assured of a place in the final as Chen Long is to meet Yuqi in today’s last four.

World No. 3 Yuqi laboured for 72 minutes before taming seventh seed Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan 16-21, 21-15, 21-18. He staged a superb comeback having trailed 7-15 at one stage.