# Chong Wei leads the charge with an easy win in men’s singles
# V Shem-Wee Kiong off to a winning start in men’s doubles
# Vivian Hoo-Khe Wei off to a bright start in women’s doubles
# Peng Soon-Liu Ying make complete a fine day in mixed doubles
By Rizal Abdullah
World number one and top seed started the ball rolling as he tamed his unknown opponent Soren Opti 21-2, 21-3 in his opening match in Group A in the men’s singles competition on the first day of the badminton competition in the Rio Olympics.
The Malaysian ace needed only 21 minutes to “get the feel” of the competition and the environment at the RioCentro Pavilion 4 on a journey which he hopes will end with the elusive gold medal in his last attempt in the Olympics.
With two disappointments and failures at the Beijing (2008) and London (2012) Olympics where he could only garner the silver, Chong Wei is totally focused on turning it into gold before he hangs up his racquet.
Also clearing their first hurdle is defending champion Lin Dan. “Super Dan” won the gold in Beijing and in London but Chong Wei has come to Rio determined to put an end to his disappointment in the last two Olympics.
Lin Dan was also on the winning path in Rio on Thursday as he ran out an easy 21-5, 21-11 win over Austria’s David Obernosterer in 36 minutes in a Group D match. The Chinese ace is seeded third in Rio.
Second seed Chen Long, China’s reigning world champion, was also hardly stretched in his 21-7, 21-10 win over Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunaratne in his opening Group P match.
In the men’s doubles Malaysia’s hope Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong got a morale boosting win over Germany’s Michael Fuchs-Johannes Schoettler in Group B. The Malaysians won 21-14, 21-17 in 33 minutes.
Malaysia’s medal hopes in the women’s doubles Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei also gave themselves a morale boost with a 21-17, 24-22 win over Great Britain’s Heather Olver-Lauren Smith in their opening Group C match in 49 minutes.
In the mixed doubles Malaysia’s number one pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying kept their stranglehold against the Thai pair of Bodin Isara-Savitree Amitrapai with a 21-13, 21-19 with a fighting display in the Group C encounter.
In another Group C match Indonesia’s third seeds Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir made a winning start with a 21-7, 21-8 win in 25 minutes over Australia’s Robin Middleton-Leanne Choo. The Indonesians were beaten semi-finalists at the last Olympics in London in 2012.
In the men’s doubles Korea’s world number one and top seeds Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong were too good for Australians Matthew Chau-Sawan Serasinghe in their opening Group A match and won 21-14, 21-16.
Women’s doubles top seeds and favourites Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi of Japan brushed aside India’s Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponappa 21-15, 21-10 in 38 minutes in Group A.
SELECTED RESULTS (Aug 11)
Men’s singles
Group A
Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Soren Opti (Sur) 21-2, 21-3
Group E
Lin Dan (Chn) beat David Obernosterer (Aut) 21-5, 21-11
Group P
Chen Long (Chn) beat Niluka Karunaratne (SL) 21-7, 21-10
Men’s doubles
Group A
Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) beat Matthew Chau-Sawan Serasinghe (Aus) 21-14, 21-16
Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov (Rus) beat Lee Sheng-mu-Tsai Chia Hsin (Tpe) 21-11, 22-20
Group B
Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) beat Michael Fuchs-Johannes Schoettler (Ger) 21-14, 21-17
Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan (Chn) beat Phillip Chew-Sattawat Pongnairat (US) 21-6, 21-7
Group C
Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang (Kor) beat Adam Cwalina-Pryemyslaw Wacha (Pol) 21-14, 21-15
Group D
Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) beat Manu Attri-Sumeeth B Reddy (Ina) 21-8, 21-13
Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn) beat Chai Biao-Hong Wei (Chn) 21-18, 14-21, 23-21
Women’s doubles
Group A
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponappa (Ind) 21-15, 21-10
Group B
Luo Ying-Luo Yu (Chn) beat Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 21-11, 21-18
Group C
Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei (Mas) beat Heather Olver-Lauren Smith (GB) 21-7, 24-22
Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii (Ina) beat Poon Lok Yan-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) 21-9, 21-11
Group D
Tang Yuanting-Yu Yang (Chn) beat Johanna Goliszewski-Carla Nelte (Ger) 21-10, 21-11
Chang Ye-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) beat Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva (Bul) 24-22, 21-15
Mixed doubles
Group A
Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) beat Michael Fuchs-Birgit Michels (Ger) 21-19, 21-16
Praveen Jordan-Debby Susanto (Ina) beat Reginald Lee Chun Hei-Chau Hoi Wah (Hkg) 21-12, 19-21, 21-15
Group C
Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) beat Bodin Isara-Savitree Amitrapai (Tha) 21-13, 21-19
Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (Ina) beat Robin Middleton-Leanne Choo (Aus) 21-7, 21-8
Group D
Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na (Kor) beat Phillip Chew-Jamie Subandhi (US) 21-10, 21-12
Kenta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara (Jpn) beat Jacco Arends-Selena Piek (Ned) 21-14, 21-19
