Busanan gives Li mighty scare
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Women's Olympic champion has narrow escape
Olympic champion Li Xuerui narrowly avoided going out in the first round of the All-England Open for a second successive year on Wednesday but had to save a match point against Thailand’s Busanan Ongbumrungpan before going on to win 21-14 15-21 22-20.
Top-seeded Li slipped to a 13-16 deficit in the final game against Busanan, the world No 17, and was on the verge of exiting at 19-20 down.
But the Chinese player averted disaster with a brave smash combined with a quick kill, and then snatched the win by drawing two successive errors from her opponent with accurate lifts and tenacious defence.
“My only thought was to keep on fighting, because as the match is not finished anything can happen,” said Li.
“I didn’t think about last year here, but it did remind me of the world championships when I had quite a big slip – and I am trying psychologically to teach myself.”
She was referring to a narrow defeat in the world final to Ratchanok Intanon, the Thai teenager whom the seedings say should meet Li in tomorrow’s semi-finals here, and who also struggled in her opening match.
Ratchanok was a game and 5-7 down to Gu Juan, the highly energetic world No 21 from Singapore, and in real danger of defeat at 17-17 in the decider, before coming through 20-22 21-15 21-18.
It was a match where attacks were difficult to force through but the uncomplaining Ratchanok would only say that it imbued the rallies “with a lot more possibilities”.
She was also pleasantly philosophical about her scare. “When you come so close to disaster, something good has to come from it,” she said.
While they survived several of their fellow seeds went out.
Tommy Sugiarto, the No 3 from Indonesia, Jan Jorgensen, the No 4 from Denmark, Du Pengyu, the No 7 from China, and Tien Minh Nguyen, the No 8 from Vietnam, were all beaten, while both Kenichi Tago, the No 5 from Japan, and Chen Long, the No 2 from China, struggled to get through in three games.
It made things look good for Lee Chong Wei, the world No 1 from Malaysia, whose bid to regain the title began with a 21-15 21-17 win over Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk, and who cannot now face a seed before the semi-finals.
“It was the first match so I didn’t play so well,” said Lee, though he played better than last year, when he, like Li, had to save a match point to survive.
“Next time I hope to be better,” he added.
Next time is against his compatriot Chong Wei Feng, who won in straight games against Marc Zwiebler, the German who was a semi-finalist three years ago.
Boonsak canters to victory
Thai veteran veteran Boonsak Ponsana won his opening round match quite easily.
In the men’s singles, world No 6 and sixth seed Boonsak Ponsana thrashed Hong Kong’s Hu Yun 21-7 21-19 in 40 minutes. He will take on Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, the winner of Spanish Open last year and ranked world No 25.
Compatriot Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk, who lost in the semi-final to world No 1 and top-seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia last year, fell at the first hurdle, losing to the same rival 21-15 21-17.
Meanwhile, Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, current world No 10, outclassed Hong Kong’s Chan Tsz Ka 21-14 21-17. She will square up with South Korean sixth seeded Bae Yeon Ju, winner of the Korea Grand Prix Gold.
The mixed duo of Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam, seeded seventh, defeated England’s Matthew Nottingham and Lauren Smith 21-15 21-16. They will play Japan’s Kenichi Hayakawa and Misaki Matsutomo, who were runners-up last year.
Maneepong Jongjitr and Sapsiree Taerattanachai downed Hong Kong’s Chan Yun Lung and Tse Ying Suet 21-14 21-18. They will face South Korean eighth seeds Ko Sung Kyun and Kim Ha Na.
In the women’s doubles event, Thailand’s Duanganong Aroonkesorn and Kunchala Voravichitchaikul brushed off Canada’s Nicole Grether and Charmaine Reid 21-15 21-11. They will fight with South Korean eighth seeds Jang Ye Na and Kim So Young.
