ALOR STAR, 8 Feb — Second seeds China were stunned 2-3 by Indonesia seeded seventh in the women’s team event at the 2018 Badminton Asia Team Championships held at Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium here, today.

In a group Z match, China’s first singles Chen Yufei lost to Fitriani Fitriani in 21-16, 12-21, 15-21 while doubles pair, Du Yue-Li Yin Hui were outclassed by Greysia Polii-Apriyani Rahayu 18-21, 12-21.

China bounced back through He Bingjiao who beat Gregoria Masriska Tunjung 23-12, 21-10 but it was over for China when doubles Cao Tong Wei-Yu Zheng were tamed by Della Destiara Haris-Rizki Amelia Pradipta in 14-21, 21-19, 21-23. Chen Xiaoxin claimed the second point for China after disposing of Ruselli Hartawan, 21-17, 21-17.

Meanwhile, Japan displayed their women’s team strength when they overcome India 4-1 despite suffering an initial setback when Akane Yakmaguchi went down tamely to P.V Sindhu in 19-21, 15-21.

But the Japanese team did not look back after Sayaka Sato scored Japan’s first point by dismissing K Sri Krishna Priya 21-12, 21-12.

Next, Aya Ohori crushed P Ashwini 21-14, 21-12 while doubles pair, Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto downed G Sanyogita-S Prajakta 21-17, 21-17 and Misaki Matsumoto-Ayaka Takahashi subdued P Ashwini -R N Sikki 21-18, 21-18.

In a group X match, South Korea beat Taiwan 5-0, with the first point coming from Sung Ji Hyun who outplayed Pai Yu Po 21-12, 23-21 while doubles pair, Lee So Hee-Shin Seung Chan beat Hsu Ya Ching-Wu Ti Jung 21-19, 21-13.

Jang Mi Lee thrashed Lee Chia Hsin beat 21-11, 21-10 while in the doubles, Chang Ye Na partnered Hye Rin Kim to beat Chiang Kai Hsin-Hung Shih Han 21-13, 21-17, and Joo I Jeon contributed the final point by dismissing Chiang Mei Hui 21-19, 21-18.

In the men’s team event, China defeated Hong Kong 5-0 in group A with the first point from Shi Yuqi who whipped Angus Ng Ka Long 21-1, 21-10 while the doubles combination of He Jiting-Tan Qiang were stretched by Or Ching Chung-Tang Chun Man before prevailing 12-21, 21-15, 21-15.

Similarly, Qiao Bin was forced into the rubber game by Vincent Wong Wing Ki before claiming the match 21-11, 19-21, 21-13. Hang Chengkai-Zhou Haodong bagged the forth point by beating Chang Tak Ching-Yeung Ming Nok 21-12,21-14 and Zhao Junpeng defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-19, 21-14.

Meanwhile, Nepal was defeated by Kazakhstan 0-5 in a group B match, losing their first point when Ratnajit Tamang went down to Dmitriy Panarin 6-21, 20-22, followed by Sajan Krishna Tamrakar in straight sets to Artur Niyazov in 21-7, 21-10 while Bikash Shresta was thrashed 9-21, 14-21 by Khaitmurat Kulmatov .

In double’s, Dipesh Dhami- Ratnajit Tamang were subdued by Kazakh pair, Artur Niyazov-Dmitriy Panarin 14- 21, 20-22 while Bikash Shresta-Sajan Krishna Tamrakar lost to Khaitmurat Kulmatov-Ikramzhan Yuldashev 19-21, 9-21.

In the same group, Japan lost 2-3 to South Korea as Kenta Nishimoto lost to So Wan Ho 11-21, 21-9, 20-22 in a close-fought match.

Takashei Kamura-Keigo Sonoda tied the match 1-1 after beating Kim Won Ho-Seung Jae Seo 21-5, 21-14 but South Koreans bounced back via Jeon Hyeok Jin who disposed of Kazumasa Sakai 21-17, 21-14.

The game was over, when Japan’s doubles pair, Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi went down tamely to Choi Solgyu-Kim Dukyoung 9-21, 9-21.

Kento Momota claimed the last point for Japan when he defeated Kwang Hee Heo 13-21, 21-8, 21-10 after a tensed match.

In the women’s team event, Vietnam vanquished Philippines 5-0 in a group Y match with Thi Trang (B) Vu claiming the first point after crushing Sarah Joy Barredo 21-16, 21-7 and followed by Thuy Linh Nguyen’s victory over Airah Mae Nicole Albo at 21-14, 21-11.

Third point claimed through Thi Phoung Hong Dinh who defeated Thea Marie Pomar 21-9, 21-14. In doubles, Thi Phuong Hong Dinh-Thi Hoai Do secured the fourth point by whipping Sarah Joy Barredo-Alyssa Yasbel Leonardo 21-9, 21-12.

Thuy Linh Nguyen- Thi Trang (B) Vu clinched the winning point by dismissing Airah Mae Nicole Albo-Thea Marie Pomar in 17-21, 21-10, 21-12.

Thailand secured a place to the quarter-finals after defeating Myanmar 5-0 in Group C Men’s event by claiming the first point through Khosit Phetpradab who beat Phone Pyae Naing 21-10, 21-10.

Suppanyu Avihingsanon continued the momentum by beating Aung Myo Htoo 21-17, 21-14 while Panawit Thongnuam claimed the third point after defeating Arkar Phone Myat 21-11, 21-7.

The double’s, Inkarat Apisuk-Maneepong Jongjit slashed out Aung Myo Htoo-Chan Win Oo 21-12, 21-14, and Tinn Isriyanet – Kittisak Namdash beat Arkar Phone Myat- Hein Si Thu Toe 21-11, 21-16.

Indonesia was almost upset by India in Group D Men’s event eventually won 3-2 for the quarter-finals slot. Jonatan Christie took the first point by overcoming K Srikanth 21-17, 21-17 while Mohammad Ahsan-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo lost to R Satwiksairaj- S Chirag 21-18, 18-21, 22-24 after being forced to play till the third set. India broke the tie after Anthony Ginting lost to S. Praneeth 18-21, 19-21.

Angga Pratama-Rian Agung Saputro bounced backed by defeating MR Arjun-S Ramchandran 14-21, 21-16, 21-12. Ihsan Maulana Mustofa beat R.B Sumeeth 21-12, 21-7 to claim final point for Indonesia.

In the same group, Phillippines whitewashed Maldives 5-0, claming the first point through Ros Leonard Pedrosa who beat Hussien Zayan Shaheed 21-8, 21-7. The second point was secured by Arthur Samuel Salvado after overcoming Ahmed Nibal 21-12, 21-6 while Lanz Ralf Zafra beat Hassan Afsheem Shaheem 21-7, 21-4.

Peter Gabriel Magnaye-Alvin Morada beat Mohamed Arsalaan Ali-Ahmed Nibal 21-8, 21-9 and Carlos Antonie Cayanan-Philip Joper Escueta overcame Hussien Zayan Shaheed-Hassan Afsheen Shaheem 21-3, 21-6. — Bernama