Chinese players secured seven second-round places Tuesday on the first day of the 2019 Badminton Denmark Open, while superstar Lin Dan made an early exit by losing to Indian player Sai Praneeth.
Lin Dan, ranked 18th, faced Praneeth, ranked 12 in the men's singles. The Indian won the encounter decisively in two sets: 21-14, 21-17.
Rasmus Gemke, ranked 22nd in the world, was the first Dane to book his place in the second round, but it took a grueling win against Lee Cheuk Yiu, ranked 30, of China's Hong Kong 16-21, 21-14, 21-18.
In the women's singles, the recent surprise winner of the Super 1000 China tournament, Spain's Carolina Marin won an intense battle, causing a minor upset in the process by beating Thailand's Chochuwong Po, ranked 15, in two sets during an emotional match 21-16, 21-19.
Of the three Chinese players competing in the women's singles event, only Han Yue, ranked 13, managed an expected win to get herself through to the second round of the competition.
Han Yue faced Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour ranked 39. The match was settled in two sets 21-16 and 21-18.
Of the seven men's doubles matches, sixth-seeded Chinese Han Chengkai and Zhou Haodong playing against Danish partners Mathias Boe and Mads Conrad-Petersen was the game that stood out.
The Chinese pair sent the Scandinavians out of the tournament with a deft victory in two sets 21-19, 21-16.
In the woman's doubles, Du Yue and Li Yinhui beat their Canadian opponents Rachel Honderich and Kristen Tsai in successive two sets of 21-18, 21-17. Liu Xuanxuan and Xia Yuting also secured their position in the second round.
In the mixed doubles, Chinese pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong took control of a one-sided game over Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Puttita Supajirakul to win the match comfortably 21-10, 21-12.
The first round continues on Wednesday as the tournament runs until the finals on Oct. 20.
The Denmark Open tournament, a feature on the international badminton circuit since 1936, is now part of the World Tour Super 750 with prize money totaling 775,000 U.S. dollars.
