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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16: Danish men’s doubles team Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen got off to a rousing start at the Malaysian Open Super Series on Wednesday, brushing aside Russian pair Vitalij Durkin and Alexandr Nikolaenko.
The first-round match, which ended 21-18, 21-13, was sweet revenge for the 2003 World Champions after they lost to the Russians at the same venue during last year’s World Championship.
Top English women’s pair Gail Emms and Donna Kellogg were stretched to the limit before edging out Poland’s Kamila Augustyn-Nadiezda Kostiuczyk 21-19, 14-21, 21-16.
In the men’s singles event Indonesian ace Taufik Hidayat was given an early scare before beating Korean player Park Sung Hwan 15-21, 22-20, 21-16.
The sixth-seeded player will take on countryman Simon Santoso in round two of the tournament.
World number two Lee Chong Wei also had an easy path to the second round, beating Malaysian Muhammad Hafiz Hashim 21-17, 21-16 in the other men’s singles match.
Results:
Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (MAS) bt Muhammad Hafiz Hashim (MAS) 21-17, 21-16; Taufik Hidayat (INA) bt Park Sung Hwan (KOR) 15-21, 22-20, 21-16; Simon Santoso (INA) bt Andrew Smith (ENG) 21-15, 21-7; Shon Seung Mo (KOR) bt Andrew Dabeka (CAN) 21-14, 21-23, 21-7; Sairul Amar Ayob (MAS) bt Muhd Roslin Hashim (MAS) 11-21, 21-14, 21-16; Andre Kurniawan Tedjono (INA) bt Eric Pang (NED) 18-21, 22-20, 22-20; Chen Yu (CHN) bt Dicky Palyama (NED) 21-12, 21-17.
Women’s singles: Chehng Shao-Chieh (TPE) bt Xie Xingfang (CHN) – walkover; Eriko Hirose (JPN) bt Sara Persson (SWE) 21-10, 21-11; Wong Mew Choo (MAS) bt Julia Wong Pei Xian (MAS) 21-17, 21-13; Jeanine Cicognini (SUI) bt Li Li (SIN) 21-15, 23-25, 21-18; Zhou Mi (HKG) bt Kaori Mori (JPN) 21-8, 21-8; Zhun Lin (CHN) bt Yip Pui Yin (HKG) 21-19, 17-21, 21-18.—AFP
