Gopi Chand beats Ji Xinpeng

BRUNEI, AUG. 9. For the second day in succession, India's Pullela Gopi Chand fought back from a one game deficit to register what turned out to be a rather comfortable victory against Olympic champion Ji Xinpeng at the World Grand Prix badminton finals here on Thursday.

Playing in a Group `C' encounter, the Indian ace came up with a 5-7, 7-1, 7-4, 7-1 win and it was Gopi Chand's sixth successive victory over the Chinese, which extended a winning streak stretching as far back as 1995.

Now Gopi Chand has to win his last league match against Indonesian Open champion Marleve Mainaky to clinch a semifinal berth from Group `C'.

Other results: Marleve Mainaky bt Welshman Richard Vaughan 7-0, 7-3, 3-7, 7-2; Roslin Hashim bt Dane Anders Boesen 7-2, 7-1, 7-4; Hendrawan bt Luo Yigang 7-4, 4-7, 0-7, 7-4, 7-2; Ong Ewe Hock bt Vladislav Druzhchenko 7-2, 7-0, 7-1; Chen Hong bt Kenneth Jonassen 7-5, 3-7, 7-5, 2-7, 7-3;

Women: Gong Zhichao bt Huang Chia Chi 7- 4, 7-2, 4-7, 7-1; Zhou Mi bt Ellen Angelina 7-4, 7-1, 7-2.

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