BEIJING, May 10: Defending champions South Korea got their Sudirman Cup badminton campaign off to the perfect start Tuesday with an easy 4-1 win over Thailand, while Denmark proved too strong for England. Hosts China, seeking to reclaim the mixed team championship title they lost in Eindhoven two years ago, were to meet Sweden later Tuesday, while Indonesia faced Hong Kong in the other Group 1B match.

Lee Jae-Jin and Ra Kyung-Min opened the Korean’s Group 1A account with their 15-11, 15-10 mixed doubles win over Thailand’s Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam. Seo Yoon-Hee took the women’s singles rubber 13-10, 11-8, while Kim Dong-Moon and Ha Tae-Kwon cruised to a 15-2, 15-2 victory in the men’s doubles.

In the women’s doubles Lee Kyung-Won and Lee Hyo-Jung proved too powerful for Saralee and Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn, winning 15-5, 15-5. Their only disappointment came in the men’s singles where Athens Olympic silver medallist Shon Seung-Mo lost a hard-fought rubber 15-5, 8-15, 16-17 to Boonsak Polsana.

South Korea, who have won the prestigious Sudirman Cup three times, meet England on Wednesday. England, meanwhile, were unable to capitalise on a good start to their opening match with Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms downing Danish duo Jens Eriksen and Mette Schjoldager 15-13, 15-9 in the mixed doubles.

Kenneth Jonassen overwhelmed Aamir Ghaffar 15-5, 15-0 in the men’s singles while Tine Rasmussen laboured to an 11-4, 11-13, 11-7 win over Tracey Hallam. Eriksen teamed up with Martin Lundgaard to sweep the men’s doubles 15-12, 15-11, but England battled back in the women’s doubles with Emms and Donna Kellogg notching up a 15-5, 15-9 win.

Danish coach Steen Pedersen said he was pleased with his players’ performances and the raucous support offered by the legion of Danish fans at Beijing’s Capital Gymnasium. Denmark, who have never won the Sudirman Cup, meet Thailand on Wednesday.

Only the eight teams in Group 1, which is split into two sub-groups, have a shot at the title in the ninth edition of this tournament which is payed every two years.—AFP