Top News

China claims Sudirman Cup for eighth time

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-30 07:54

China defeated Denmark 3-1 to win the Sudirman Cup World Badminton Mixed Team Championship for the fourth time in a row and the eighth overall in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Sunday.

Denmark has lost both its Sudirman finals to China, including a 3-1 home loss on its home court in 1999.

With huge support from the home crowd, Xu Chen and Ma Jin took an easy victory in straight games in the opening mixed doubles against Fisher Neilsen and Christinna Pedersen.

Reigning Olympic champion, Lin Dan then proved too much for 34-year-old former world No 1 Peter Gade, who claims it was his last Sudirman Cup, winning 21:16, 21:11.

Asked if beating China at home was impossible, Gade said after he was sent packing by Lin: "Almost. It's not impossible, but you need a few things to get together before you can do it.

"They've not been under that much pressure in the tournament and they still have a lot left in the reserves.

"Maybe we used a bit more energy along the way, and if are to beat them, we need that extra edge. We need to be honest, they could almost put out two teams which could make the final."

Olympic silver medalists Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng then locked up the victory for the home team by humbling Carsten Mogensen and Jonas Rasmussen in the men's doubles.

China only lost three matches en route to the championship. Two came in the women's singles while Cai and Fu lost in the semifinals against South Korea.

Indonesia won the inaugural event in 1989 on home soil, while South Korea won the following two editions. China then emerged victorious in seven of the past eight editions, only losing to South Korea in 2003.

China Daily - AFP

(China Daily 05/30/2011 page24)