Odense: Tuesday was a mixed day for badminton big guns at the Denmark Open.
While Chen Long, Shi Yuqi were sent packing in their openers, Kento Momota and Lin Dan barely survived the first round by the skin of their teeth.
Hong Kong’s unseeded Angus Ng Ka Long drew the first blood to breeze off the Rio Olympic champion and No. 5 seed Chen Long 22-20, 21-15 in 45 minutes to set up second round battle with Khosit Phetpradab of Thailand.
World No. 2 Shi Yuqi was no match for Sameer Verma of India, going down to the Indian player 17-21, 18-21 in 44 minutes. Verma is set to take on Jonatan Christie of Indonesia on Thursday.
Japan’s World No. 1 Kento Momota, however, was forced to dig deep after Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, who defeated Momota in their last two encounters, squared off in the second set with 23-21, before going down to the Japanese player with 18-21, 23-21, 15-21 in a hard-fought opening match that lasted 87 minutes.
Chinese superstar and two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan also lived dangerously against an unfancied Thai opponent, Kantaphon Wangcharoen, before winning the match 21-13, 14-21, 21-7.
Momota will take on Suppanyu Avihingsanon of Thailand in the second round while Lin Dan will meet No. 7 seed Kidambi Srikanth of India next.
