Malaysian star Lee Chong Wei crashed out of the world badminton championships yesterday while China's formidable shuttlers also suffered shock defeats in a day of upsets.

 

Lee, the world No 3, was trounced 21-11, 21-9 by Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro, whose aggressive attacks left the Malaysian struggling.

 

Just minutes later, China's two-time defending champion Xie Xingfang was dumped from the women's competition by Malaysia's Wong Mew Choo. The tenth seeded Malaysian, spurred on by a raucous home crowd, surprised the world No 2 with a powerful performance to win 21-10, 21-8 and book herself a place in the quarterfinals.

 

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Xie Xingfang

 

The match had been expected to be routine for the All-England champion Xie, but China's stranglehold on these championships was severely tested yesterday.

 

Earlier, third seed Chen Jin was knocked out by Singapore's Ronald Susilo, who had a sharp warning for the Chinese about complacency.

 

"The Chinese players are very dominant. Everybody has the motivation to beat them and I am among them, because I want to prove that other countries can also compete," said Susilo.

 

Susilo, seeded ninth, downed Chen 21-19, 21-14 with contrasting overhead jump shots and delicate net play.

 

The surprise results made a mockery of the seedings and came just one day after Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat, the Olympic champion, was dumped in the second round by unheralded Anup Sridhar from India.

 

But it was not all doom and gloom for the Chinese.

 

World No 1 Lin Dan of China advanced to the quarters despite earlier watching his girlfriend Xie's exit.

 

Lin, the defending champion, bested Dicky Palyama from the Netherlands 21-18, 21-17.

 

China's fourth seed Bao Chunlai also went through to the next round, downing South Korea's Lee Hyun-ii 21-19, 21-11.

 

Other men through included Denmark's Peter Gade, who survived a tough fight against Indonesia's Simon Santoso. Fifth seed Gade fought back from one set down to win 18-21, 21-15, 21-16.

 

On the women's side, China's world No 1 Zhang Ning went through after she trounced Maria Kristin Yulianti of Indonesia. Zhang, the Olympic champion, said she has yet to be extended here but was focusing on "one match at a time."

 

Zhang now faces Commonwealth Games champion Tracey Hallam of England, who fought a tough battle against Russia's Ella Karachkova before holding on for a 21-23, 21-15, 21-19 victory.

 

Hong Kong suffered a blow when Asian Games silver medallist Yip Pui-yin went down fighting against China's Zhu Lin.

 

In doubles action, China's No 1 pairing Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili defeated South Korea's Lee Kyung-won and Lee Hyo-jung 21-14, 21-19.

 

Defending champions Gao Ling and Huang Sui, China's number two pair, also walked into the quarters over Denmark's Lena Frier Kristiansen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl, 21-5, 21-15.

 

In men's doubles, defending champions Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun trounced Russia's Vitalij Durkin and Alexandr Nikolaenko 21-10, 21-9.

 

Their greatest challengers are Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, who were to take to the courts later yesterday.

 

(China Daily via AFP August 17, 2007)