Olympic mixed doubles runners-up survive early exit scare

Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei (L) from China compete during the mixed double match against Anthony Dumarthery and Sabrina Jaquet of Swiss at the 2013 BWF World Championships on Aug. 6, 2013. Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei won 2-0. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

London Olympic badminton mixed doubles silver medalists Xu Chen/Ma Jin from China survived an early exit scare by edging past the tall Danish opponents 18-21, 21-17, 21-13 in the second round of the world championships in Guangzhou on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Olympic mixed doubles gold medalists and reigning world champions Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei of China barely broke a sweat in their first appearances as the second seeded dismissed Anthony Dumartheray/ Sabrina Jaquet of Switzerland 21-11 21-15.

Top seeds Xu/Ma, who enjoyed a first-round bye, met hard resistance from Mads Pieler Kolding and Kamilla Rytter Juhl as the Danish pair, with an average height of 194cm, took the first set 21-18.

Xu and Ma steadied themselves in the second set, pulling away at the end of it to level the score. In the decider, they dominated the match after 12-all to secure the victory.

"At the beginning the wind direction on the court is different from what I expected, so I make a lot of mistakes. And our opponent's back court attack is very fierce," said Xu.

Rytter said they played well in the first set, but was not able to keep that form afterwards. "Maybe (in the decider) we are too eager to win the match."

Xu/Ma will play against Tao Jiaming/Tang Jinhua in an all-China clash next round as the young Chinese pair defeated their teammates Qiu Zihan /Bao Yixin 21-16, 21-19. Third seeded Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir from Indonesia and fourth seeded Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen both took easy wins to reach the top 16.

In the women's singles, Chinese shuttler Jiang Yanjian, No. 24 in world ranking, withdrew from the first round due to waist injury. Her opponent Marija Ulitina of Ukraine then will meet Olympic champion Li Xuerui in the second round.

Special coverage: BWF World Championships 2013