PARIS, Aug 24: World No 1 Lee Chong Wei breezed through his first round match against Guatemala's Kevin Cordon 21-7, 21-11 on the opening day of the World Badminton Championships on Monday.

The game was the first on court at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium and world-ranked 54 Cordon delayed the talented Malaysian for only 26 minutes.

Top seed Chong Wei faces a trickier second round clash against compatriot Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, ranked 21 in the world and the All England champion in 2003. Hashim beat Belgium's Tan Yuhan 21-13, 21-15.

World and Olympic champion Lin Dan of China also had an easy passage, beating Iran's Ali Shahhosseini, ranked 83, 21-4, 21-10.

Former Olympic and world champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia eased through 21-10, 21-10 against Nigeria's Ola Fabgemi, ranked 122.

English champion Rajiv Ouseph, world ranked 17, featured in a tight match, edging past Dutchman Eric Pang on his fourth match point 21-19, 15-21, 23-21.

Head coach Andy Wood said: “We are boosted by the fact that he managed to tough it out and get this victory to add to the confidence gained by winning the US Open title recently.”

In the women's singles, Indian hopes are pinned firmly on Saina Nehwal, who has risen to two in the world rankings.

Men's singles:

First round: 1-Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) bt Kevin Cordon (Guatemala) 21-7, 21-11; 10-Bao Chunlai (China) bt Chan Yan Kit (Hong Kong) 21-11, 21-17; Rajiv Ouseph (England) bt Eric Pang (Netherlands) 21-19, 15-21, 23-21; 5-Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) bt Ola Fagbemi (Nigeria) 21-10, 21-10; 3-Lin Dan (China) bt Ali Shahhosseini (Iran) 21-4, 21-10; 11-Jan Jorgensen (Denmark) bt Michael Lahnsteiner (Austria) 21-12, 21-19; 13-Park Sung-hwan (South Korea) bt Zi Liang Derek Wong (Singapore) 21-9, 21-18; Muhammad Hafiz Hashim (Malaysia) bt Tan Yuhan (Belgium) 21-13, 21-15; Vladimir Ivanov (Russia) bt Matthie Lo Ying Ping (France) 21-17, 21-13; 7-Tien Minh Nguyen (Vietnam) bt Valeriy Atrashchenkov (Ukraine) 21-16, 21-14; 12-Kenichi Tago (Japan) bt Petr Koukal (Czech Repulic) 21-19, 24-22; David Snider (Canada) bt Alistair Casey (Scotland) 21-16, 21-15; Raul Must (Estonia) bt Dieter Domke (Germany) 21-16, 16-21, 21-18; Henri Hurskainen (Sweden) bt Henrik Toth (Hungary) 21-13, 21-16; Yu Hsin Hsieh (Taiwan) bt Pedro Martins (Portugal) 22-20, 21-17; Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Thailand) bt P. Kashyap (India) 14-21, 21-14, 21-16.

Women's singles:

First round: 12-Pui Yin Yip (Hong Kong) bt Perrine Lebuhanic (France) 21-18, 21-11; 11-Jie Yao (Netherlands) bt Alying Xing (Singapore) 21-17, 9-21, 21-8; Ai Goto (Japan) bt Alesia Zaitsava (Bulgaria) 21-9, 21-9; 14-Bae Seung-hee (South Korea) bt Susan Egelstaff (Scotland) 21-15, 21-16; Kim Moon-hi (South Korea) bt Telma Santos (Portugal) 21-11, 21-15; Adrianti Firdasari (Indonesia) bt Ky Michelle Chan (New Zealand) 21-11, 21-16; Anna Rice (Canada) bt Chloe Magee (Ireland) 21-18, 21-13; Wong Mew Choo (Malaysia) bt Karin Schnaase (Germany) 21-16, 21-14; 13-Ella Diehl (Russia) bt Jeanine Cicognini (Switzerland) 21-15, 21-15; 15-Petya Nedelcheva (Bulgaria) bt Judith Meulendijks (Netherlands) 14-21, 21-16 21-10; Kristina Ludikova (Czech Republic) bt Rena Wang (US) 21-18, 21-9; Maria Febe Kusumastuti (Indonesia) bt Tatjana Bibik (Russia) 21-11, 23-21; Shao-Chieh Cheng (Taiwan) bt Anu Nieminen (Finland) 21-18, 21-11; 10-Eriko Hirose (Japan) bt Aditi Mutatkar (India) 21-12, 21-16; Larisa Griga (Ukraine) bt Kune Karen Foo (Mauritius) 21-10, 21-5.—Reuters