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HYDERABAD, India: World number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and defending champion Lin Dan of China stormed into the men's singles second round of the World badminton championships on Monday.
Top-seeded Lee faced a stiff resistance from 116th-ranked German Dieter Domke in the opening game before winning 21-14, 21-10, while fifth-seeded Lin raced to a 21-9, 21-11 victory over unseeded Israeli Misha Zilberman.
"I made some unforced errors in the opening game," said Lee, aiming to win his maiden World crown.
"I played him for the first time and took some time to settle down, but I am happy with my form."
Two-time champion Lin proved too strong for Zilberman, completing the win in just 23 minutes.
"I don't consider myself as a favourite. I think Denmark's Peter Gade and Lee are favourites," said Lin, looking for his third successive title.
"Shuttles are coming a bit slow but one has to adapt to the conditions."
Lin and Gade are expected to clash in the quarter-finals.
Third-seeded Gade and sixth-seeded Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro also moved into the men's singles second round with emphatic wins.
Dicky Palyama of the Netherlands pulled off the tournament's first upset when he defeated 11th-seeded Chinese Bao Chun Lai in the opening round.
"There was no pressure on me and I played freely," Palyama said after posting a 21-18, 21-14 victory.
"I knew Bao is a tough opponent, but my coach told me to keep cool. I knew I had a chance to win the match when I was leading in the second game."
Bao conceded he was not at his best.
"I didn't play my best game," said the Chinese. "I don't think I was on top of my game today. I could not find my rhythm."
Gade posted an easy 21-11, 21-16 win over Valeriy Atrashchenkov of Ukraine, while Kuncoro beat Austrian Michael Lahnsteiner 21-13, 21-9.
"I was always in control of the match," said the 32-year-old Gade, looking for his first World title.
"Obviously, I am looking for the gold. I know the toughest opponent will be Lin. It is good that at this age I am able to compete well."
Bulgarian Stilian Makarski overcame an opening-game deficit to down Alistair Casey of Scotland 18-21, 21-18, 21-13 in another first-round encounter.
Malaysian Wong Mew Choo and Indonesian Maria Kristin Yulianti posted comfortable wins to advance to the women's singles second round.
Wong, seeded 14th, needed just 19 minutes to down American Shannon Pohl 21-4, 21-6, while 15th-seeded Yulianti ousted Sweden's Sophia Hansson 21-6, 21-2 in 20 minutes.
Belgium's Lianne Tan, Susan Egelstaff of Scotland, Japanese Ai Goto, Russian Ella Diehl, Linda Zechiri of Bulgaria and 11th-seeded German Juliane Schenk also moved into the women's singles second round.
Men's singles first round:
Lee Chong Wei (MAS) bt Dieter Domke (GER) 21-14, 21-10
Peter Gade (DEN) bt Valeriy Atrashchenkov (UKR) 21-11, 21-16
Dicky Palyama (NED) bt Bao Chun Lai (CHN) 21-18, 21-14
Lin Dan (CHN) bt Misha Zilberman (ISR) 21-9, 21-11
Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) bt Michael Lahnsteiner (AUT) 21-13, 21-9
Stilian Makarski (BUL) bt Alistair Casey (SCO) 18-21, 21-18, 21-13
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (THA) bt Lee Tsuen Seng (MAS) 21-7, 21-13
Scott Evans (IRL) bt Vladimir Malkov (RUS) 21-9, 22-20
Henri Hurskainen (SWE) bt Michal Matejka (SVK) 21-10, 21-16
Chan Yan Kit (HKG) bt Kaveh Mehrabi (IRI) 21-15, 21-11
Chetan Anand (IND) bt Ji Hoon Hong (KOR) 21-8, 21-16
Brice Leverdez (FRA) bt Henrik Toth (HUN) 21-12, 21-19
Women's singles first round:
Maria Kristin Yulianti (INA) bt Sophia Hansson (SWE) 21-6, 21-2
Lianne Tan (BEL) bt Elena Prus (UKR) 21-18, 22-20
Susan Egelstaff (SCO) bt Anu Nieminen (FIN) 21-19, 22-20
Wong Mew Choo (MAS) bt Shannon Pohl (USA) 21-4, 21-6
Ai Goto (JPN) bt Chloe Magee (IRL) 21-13, 21-9
Ella Diehl (RUS) bt Hadia Hosny (EGY) 21-8, 21-14
Linda Zechiri (BUL) bt Fu Mingtian (SIN) 21-15, 21-15
Juliane Schenk (GER) bt Aditi Mutatkar (IND) 21-8, 21-12
- AFP/de
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