China, Denmark cruise through in Seville heat
( 2001-05-29 09:16 ) ()

mix

China and top Europeans Denmark both swept to 5-0 victories on the opening night of the Sudirman World Cup mixed team badminton tournament on Monday.

China, bidding for a fourth title in succession, breezed past Sweden while the Danes proved too strong for England as players sweated through temperatures of up to 35C.

The Chinese were set on their way by Sydney gold medallists in the mixed doubles Zhang Jun and Gao Ling who beat Frederik Bergstrom and Jenny Karlsson 15-5 15-10.

Men's singles champion Ji Xinpeng was made to work hard for a while before overcoming George Rimarcdi 15-6 8-15 15-2 and then Gong Zhichao, another Sydney winner, outlasted Marina Andrievskaya 11-9 11-7.

In the other elite match, Denmark's world champion Camilla Martin beat England's Tracey Hallam 11-3 11-2 to clinch a 3-0 winning lead.

Earlier, Martin's fiance Peter Gade had an easy 15-2 15-3 win over Mark Constable after a victory by Jens Eriksen and Mette Schojoldager in a tense mixed doubles with Nathan Robertson and Donna Kellogg had set the Danes on their way.

Kellogg collected a yellow card near the end for shuttle abuse, the first woman to get one at such a high profile tournament since a new disciplinary code was introduced in February.

TESTING TIME

It was a testing time for all concerned with temperatures in the streets outside the stadium nudging 40C and those inside put at 35C.

The winners from the two three-strong elite groups contest Saturday's final with the bottom teams playing each other for the right to stay in division one. Sweden's next opponents are South Korea while England play Indonesia.

In group three, All England titleholder Pullela Gopichand of India warmed up for next week's individual world championships with a 17-16 15-3 win over Richard Vaughan of Wales, the world number 10.

"It's hot, said the victorious Indian. "But since we are from India it's a little better for us. I think Richard was getting tired."

Down at the other end of the divisions, a Gibraltar squad playing as a neutral International Badminton Federation team because of the row over sovereignty of the British colony were beaten 5-0 by Luxembourg in group seven.

But they will be back on Tuesday to play Mexico.