Two-time champion Wang Yihan made a compelling statement today beating Akane Yamaguchi in just 33 minutes at the Dong Feng Citroen Badminton Asia Championships 2015.
Two-time champion Wang Yihan made a compelling statement today beating Akane Yamaguchi 
in just 33 minutes at the Dong Feng Citroen Badminton Asia Championships 2015.
Wang (featured image), who has been below her best in recent months, was expected to be troubled in the Women’s Singles second round match by the fast-rising World Junior champion. Instead, the No.6 seed from China decimated her young challenger 21-13 21-7 to set up a meeting with Maria Febe Kusumastuti (right). Indonesia’s Kusumastuti fought off the tenacious Nichaon Jindapon (Thailand), 18-21 21-18 21-12.
Wang’s compatriots Li Xuerui and Wang Shixian too made the third round. Li overcame a second game loss to Vu Thi Trang (Vietnam), while Wang Shixian had little trouble against Kazakhstan’s Ilyana Filipchuk. Li will face Japan’s Minatsu Mitani, who was on the verge of exiting the event but recovered from match point down against Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po (16-21 22-20 21-11). Defending champion Sung Ji Hyun (Korea), India’s PV Sindhu and Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying also progressed.
In Men’s Singles, Tai’s compatriot Chou Tien Chen eased past Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh, 21-19 21-15 in the second round, and then received a walkover into the quarter-finals.
The match of the day was Kashyap Parupalli’s three-game win over Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Jen Hao (above). The two had met at the same stage of the tournament a year ago; Hsu had then triumphed in two tight games. Today it was touch-and-go all the way; Hsu had a two-point lead at 18-16 in the third but Parupalli edged past him at the end: 15-21 21-18 21-19. The Indian’s next opponent will be recent China Masters champion Wang Zhengming (China).
Men’s Doubles saw the No.2 seeds crash out. Lee Sheng Mu/Tsai Chia Hsin (Chinese Taipei) fell 21-17 21-19 to China’s Cai Yun/Lu Kai, who take on Singapore’s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta/Chayut Triyachart next.
Others to progress into the third round were China’s Chai Biao/Hong Wei, Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa and Korea’s Kim Gi Jung/Kim Sa Rang (above).
For the day’s results, click here.
Text by Dev Sukumar | Badmintonphoto
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