Busanan sets up date with Spaniard Marin
Busanan Ongbamrungphan got off to a winning start at the BWF World Championships in Nanjing yesterday.
The Thai defeated Jamie Hsu of Malaysia 21-10, 21-11 in the opening round (last 64) of the women’s singles on the first day of the tournament.
The 22-year-old will have a much tougher task in the second round against seventh seed Carolina Marin, the reigning Olympic champion who has claimed the world title twice in 2014 and 2015.
The Spaniard got a first-round bye. Fourth seed Ratchanok Intanon, the highest-ranked Thai, will begin her campaign in the second round today after receiving a bye in the first round.
The 2013 world champion will take on Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt, who beat Natalia Perminova of Russia 21-13, 21-9 in the first round yesterday.
Nitchaon Jindapol, the 11th seed, will play against Soraya de Visch Eijbergen of the Netherlands in the last 32 today.
In yesterday’s action, reigning men’s champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark began his title defence with a dominating 21-8, 21-7 win over Duarte Anjo.
Axelsen controlled the match throughout, taking an early lead in both games before winning 12 of the last 13 points to advance.
Despite being hampered by injuries early in the season, Axelsen won the European Championship in April and appears to be in the kind of form that last year helped him become the first European in 20 years to win the world title.
Third-seeded Shi Yuqi beat Adam Mendrek of the Czech Republic 21-13, 21-11 in his opening match.
Shi, who won the All England earlier this year, has the highest seeding of any of the Chinese men.
Five-time world champion Lin Dan, seeded ninth, opened with a 21-14, 21-14 win over Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands.
Caljouw levelled at 9-9 in the second game before Lin pulled away behind a series of accurate smashes.
Eighth seed Chen Long of China, the reigning Olympic champion, defeated Taiwan’s Hsu Jen Hao 21-13, 21-15.
Second seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia withdrew from the tournament and next month’s Asian Games as he recovers from a respiratory problem.
Among other first-round winners was India’s 11th seed HS Prannoy, who beat Abhinav Manota of New Zealand 21-12, 21-11.
In the men’s doubles, India’s Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy beat Daniel Nikolov and Ivan Rusev of Bulgaria 21-13, 21-18.
The tournament ends Sunday.