Sunday, 22 Dec 2024

News | BWF World Championships

Men’s Singles ace, Lin Dan from China, showed his mastery on the court and dashed any hopes of a triumphant start for Scotland’s Kieran Merrilees at the TOTAL BWF World Championships 2017. Despite the majority of the crowd supporting Merrilees, the five-time World champion outclassed his opponent with a scoreline of 21-15 21-10 in just 39 minutes. Lin Dan had a commanding lead of 18-5 in the first game, but a lapse in concentration allowed Merrilees to narrow the gap to 20-15. However, Lin was relentless in the second game, leaving no room for a comeback.

In an interview, Lin expressed his satisfaction with his performance and acknowledged Merrilees’ skills, stating, “I am satisfied with my performance. I never played Kieran before but I watched two of his matches. He is not as low level as some media suggested.” Lin also mentioned that he prepared carefully for the match, knowing that Merrilees had the advantage of playing on home soil.

On the other hand, Merrilees admitted feeling overwhelmed while facing one of badminton’s greatest players and praised Lin’s exceptional shots. He humbly acknowledged the difficulty of winning against Lin Dan, saying, “It was difficult to see a winning scenario. I was really struggling through that match, I was so nervous the whole way.”

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Despite the defeat, Merrilees found value in the experience and viewed it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a player. He considered playing against the best in the world as a great experience and expressed his determination to improve for future matches.

Lin’s compatriot, Shi Yuqi, also faced a tough challenge against Irish player Scott Evans. However, Shi managed to secure a victory of 23-21 22-20 in 51 minutes, setting up a second-round clash with Ygor Coelho de Oliveira.

The BWF World Championships witnessed other Men’s Singles players advancing, including Anders Antonsen (Denmark), Rajiv Ouseph (England), Gergely Krausz (Hungary), Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia), Zulfadli Zulkiffli (Malaysia), and Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Thailand).

In Men’s Doubles, Mohammad Ahsan, one half of the defending World champions, began his journey towards a second consecutive crown. Ahsan and his partner, Rian Agung Saputro, won their match against the Swedish duo, Richard Eidestedt/Nico Ruponen, with a score of 21-15 21-18. Another notable match was between Or Chin Chung/Tang Chun Man and Jelle Maas/Robin Tabeling, where the Hong Kong pair triumphed after a fierce battle of 19-21 21-18 21-17.

France’s Bastian Kersaudy and Julien Maio staged a comeback to defeat Ireland’s Joshua and Sam Magee in the Men’s Doubles category, with a final score of 19-21 21-15 21-14. The Women’s Doubles duo, Emilie Lefel and Anne Tran, also showcased their skills by defeating Scottish rivals, Rebekka Findlay and Caitlin Pringle, with a score of 21-12 21-10.

This year’s BWF World Championships kickstarted with thrilling matches and exceptional performances, setting the stage for more intense badminton action in the coming rounds. Stay tuned for the latest updates and follow the championship’s progress on Carnegiecentre.com.

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