SENDAI, April 30: World number one Lin Dan shrugged off a slow start to lead China's 5-0 victory over Germany in the Thomas Cup men's badminton championships on Sunday. The 22-year-old All England champion came back from 6-13 down in the first game before staving off two game points to beat Bjoern Joppien 22-20, 21-7 and put China one up.
Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun, and Xie Zhongbo and Guo Zhendong coasted to straightforward victories in their doubles.
Bao Chunlai beat Roman Spitko 22-20, 21-8, and China Masters winner Chen Jin beat Marcel Reuter 16-21, 21-7, 21-5 to complete a whitewash.
China ended with two wins, while Malaysia — without Asian champion Lee Chong Wei — defeated England 5-0 to also finish top with two wins in their group and reach the quarterfinals of the knock-out round.
Twelve teams were divided into four groups in the preliminary round and second and third placers will play from the first round.
China will take on the winners between South Africa and England, while Malaysia will play either Germany or the losers between South Korea and Indonesia, who were to play later Sunday.
In the Uber Cup women's team event, hosts Japan became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals when they defeated New Zealand 5-0.
Home-town girl Yu Hirayama made a winning debut for the national side, beating Donna Cranston 21-9, 21-5 to give Japan an unbeatable 3-0 lead on their way to the lopsided victory.
The other quarterfinal place was won by Hong Kong, led by Asian champion Wang Chen, who had already secored top place in their group by beating the Netherlands and England.
Atlanta Olympic silver medallist Mia Audina Tjiptawan, who stayed away in their opening tie Friday, helped the Netherlands beat England 5-0 by winning both her singles and doubles matches.
Results:
Thomas Cup
Group A
China 5 Germany 0
Lin Dan (China) bt Bjoern Joppien (Germany) 22-20, 21-7; Fu Haifeng/Cai Yun (China) bt Kristof Hopp/Ingo Kindervater (Germany) 21-8, 21-13; Bao Chunlai (China) bt Roman Spitko (Germany) 22-20, 21-8; Xie Zhongbo/Guo Zhendong (China) bt Michael Fuchs/Tim Dettmann (Germany) 21-12, 21-12; Chen Jin (China) bt Marcel Reuter (Germany) 16-21, 21-7, 21-5.
Standings: 1. China 2-0, 2. India 1-1, 3. Germany 0-2
Group B
Indonesia 3 South Korea 2
Lee Hyun-Il (South Korea) bt Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) 16-21, 21-10, 21-8; Jung Jae-Sung/Lee Yong-Dae (South Korea) bt Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto (Indonesia) 21-16, 21-14; Soni Dwi Kuncoro (Indonesia) bt Shon Seung-Mo (South Korea) 21-9, 21-15; Luluk Hadiyanto/Yulianto Alven (Indonesia) bt Hwang Ji-Man/Han Sang-Hoon (South Korea) 22-24, 21-17, 21-14; Simon Santoso (Indonesia) bt Park Sung-Hwan (KOR) 21-18, 21-16.
Standings: 1. Indonesia 2-0, 2. South Korea 1-1, New Zealand 0-2
Group C
Denmark 5 Japan 0
Peter Gade (Denmark) bt Shoji Sato (Japan) 21-9, 21-11; Jens Eriksen/Martin Lundgaard Hansen (Denmark) bt Shintaro Ikeda/Shuichi Sakamoto (Japan) 21-14, 14-21, 21-18; Kenneth Jonassen (Denmark) bt Yosuke Nakanishi (Japan) 21-17, 21-19; Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen (Denmark) bt Shuichi Nakao/Keishi Kawaguchi (Japan) 21-16, 17-21, 21-17; Niels Christian Kaldau (Denmark) bt Koichi Saeki (JPN) 21-14, 21-16Standings: 1. Denmark 2-0, 2. Japan 1-1, 3. South Africa 0-2
Group D
Malaysia 5 England 0
Wong Choong Hann (Malaysia) bt Andrew Smith (England) 21-16, 21-10; Chan Chong Ming/Koo Kien Keat (Malaysia) bt Kristian Roebuck/Ian Palethorpe (England) 21-5, 21-17; Muhammad Hafiz Hashim (Malaysia) bt Nicholas Kidd (England) 24-22, 21-14; Chew Choon Eng/Tan Boon Heong (Malaysia) bt David Lindley/Chris Langridge (England) 21-16, 21-13; Kuan Beng Hong (Malaysia) bt Rajiv Ouseph (England) 21-18, 15-21, 21-16.
Standings: 1. Malaysia 2-0, 2. England 1-1, 3. USA 0-2
Knock-out stage first round line-up:
South Africa vs England (for place against China in the quarterfinals); Japan vs USA (for place against Indonesia); India vs New Zealand (for place against Denmark); Germany vs South Korea (for place against Malaysia).
Uber Cup
Group W
China 5 Taiwan 0
Zhhang Ning (China) bt GHuang Chia-hsin (Taiwan) 21-4, 21-17; Gao Ling/Huang Sui (China) bt Chien Yu-chin/Cheng Wen-hsing (Taiwan) 24-26, 21-6, 21-15; Xie Xingfang (China) bt Pai Min-jie (Taiwan) 21-7, 21-9; Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen (China) bt Chou Chia-chi/Ku Pei-ting (Taiwan) 21-12, 21-12; Jiang Yanjiao (China) bt Huang Shih-chieh (Taiwan) 21-12, 21-7.
Standings: 1. China 2-0, 2. Taiwan 1-1, 3. USA 0-2
Group X
Netherlands 5 England 0
Mia Audina Tjiptawan (Netherlands) bt Julia Mann (England) 21-8, 21-9; Judith Meulendijks (Netherlands) bt Jill Pittard (England) 21-12, 21-10; Karina de Wit (Netherlands) bt Elizabeth Cann (England) 21-17, 11-21, 21-13; Judith Meulendijks/Rachel van Cutsen (Netherlands) bt Suzanne Rayappan/Jenny Wallwork (England) 21-14, 19-21, 28-26; Mia Audina Tjiptawan/Karina de Wit (Netherlands) bt Joanne Nicolas/Natalie Munt (England) 21-16, 21-17
Standings: 1. Hong Kong 2-0, 2. Netherlands 1-1, 3. England 0-2
Group Y
South Korea 4 Germany 1
Xu Huaiwen (Germany) bt Seo Yoon-Hee (South Korea) 21-8, 21-14; Lee Kyung-Won/Lee Hyo-Jung (South Korea) bt Sandra Marinello/Michaela Peiffer (Germany) 21-8, 21-7; Lee Yun-Hwa (South Korea) bt Petra Overzier (Germany) 21-13, 20-22, 21-11; Hwang Yu-Mi/Ha Jung-Eun (South Korea) bt Birgit Overzier/Carina Mette (Germany) 21-18, 21-19; Jun Jae-Youn (South Korea) bt Nicole Grether (Germany) 21-15, 21-7
Standings: 1. South Korea 2-0, 2. Germany 1-1, 3. Singapore 0-2
Group Z
Japan 5 New Zealand 0
Kaori Mori (Japan) bt Rachel Hindley (New Zealand) 21-6, 21-8; Eriko Hirose (Japan) bt Michelle Chan (New Zealand) 21-11, 21-14; Yu Hirayama (Japan) bt Donna Cranston (New Zealand) 21-9, 21-5; Kumiko Ogura/Reiko Shiota (Japan) bt Sara Runesten Petersen/Rachel Hindley (New Zealand) 21-11, 21-12; Miyuki Maeda/Satoko Suetsuna (Japan) bt Renee Flavell/Donna Cranston (New Zealand) 21-12, 21-8Standings: 1. Japan 2-0, 2. New Zealand 1-1, 3. South Africa 0-2
Knock-out stage 1st round line-up
Singapore vs New Zealand (for place against China); Germany vs South Africa (for place against Hong Kong); Taiwan vs England (for place against South Korea); Netherlands vs USA (for place against Japan) —AFP