Jayaram upsets World No.12 in Badminton Worlds
Shuttler Ajay Jayaram notched up a stunning victory over higher-ranked Wing Ki Wong of Hong Kong, while Parupalli Kashyap survived a scare in the opening round of the men’s singles competition in the 2013 BWF World Championships on Monday.
The 25-year-old Ajay, ranked 24th, was good in his attack as well as defence and played a patient game to beat world number 12 Wong 22-20 17-21 21-15 in a 64-minute duel. He will next take on Pablo Abian of Spain in the second round.
However, world number 13 Kashyap had an unexpectedly toughencounter against 98th ranked Raul Must of Estonia. Raul troubled the Indian early in the match but ran out of steam as Kashyap managed a 19-21 21-14 21-9 win in 56 minutes.
But it was a bad day in office for India’s doubles and mixed doubles pairs as they failed to cross the first hurdle. While the combinations of Aparna Balan and Arun Vishnu lost to Chinese Taipei’s Min Chun Liao and Hsiao Huan Chen 15-21 17-21 in the mixed doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tarun Kona suffered a 18-21 21-12 19-21 defeat to Japan’s Hirokatsu Hashimoto and Miyuki Maeda in the opening round.
In the women’s doubles, Aparna and Siki Reddy N too lost in the opening round, going down to England’s Lauren Smith and Gabrielle White 15-21 17-21 in 34 minutes.
In another match, Dane pair of Line Damkjaer Kruse and Marie Roepke ended the campaign of Pradnya Gadre and Ashwini Ponnappa with a 21-23 21-18 21-17 victory over the Indian pair in the women’s doubles event.
‘It was a good match. I knew it won’t be easy and I had to give everything. I tried to be patient as the shuttles were slow,’ Ajay said. I need to play with the same focus and composure in the next round as well,’ he said. Kashyap next plays Petr Koukal in next round.
<span lang="EN">Chong Wei, chen Long advance
GUANZHOU: Top-seeded Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia defeated Ireland’s Scott Evans in straight games to advance to the second round of the World Badminton Championships on Monday. Chong Wei won 21-14, 21-15 in just 40 minutes and will next meet either Misha Zilberman of Israel or Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka of Indonesia in the second round.
Chen Long of China also advanced after a one-sided 21-2, 21-5 win over Luka Wraber of Austria while his countryman Du Pengyu dropped a game before beating South Korea’s Wan Ho Son 21-17, 16-21, 21-13.
