The Hindu : Gade moves up; Gopi Chand ousted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 22, 2003

Sport

Sport - Badminton

Gade moves up; Gopi Chand ousted

SINGAPORE Aug. 21. Former all-England champion Peter Gade of Denmark upset second seed and compatriot Kenneth Jonassen 15-3, 15-12 in the second round of the Singapore Open early on Thursday.

"I missed the last two Singapore Opens due to injury and it is now a very different situation for me," said Gade. "My rankings have slipped and because I am usually unseeded, I tend to meet the good players in the early rounds."

Gade was runner-up at the 1998 Singapore Open.

In other men's singles matches at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, top-seeded Chen Hong of China brushed aside England's Colin Haughton 15-8, 15-4 while world champion Xia Xuanze of China squeezed past Malaysia's Ong Ewe Hock 15-8, 12-15, 15-12.

Ong was one of six Malaysians to reach the second round in the US$170,000 tournament. However, only two advanced to the last 16: Wong Choong Hann, the third seed, in a 15-12, 17-14 win over Sweden's Rasmus Wengberg and Lee Tsuen Seng.

Lee defeated fellow Malaysian Roslin Hashim 15-9, 15-7.

India's Pulella Gopi Chand, another all-England champion on the comeback trail for Athens, failed to advance. He lost 15-5, 3-15, 15-13 to Denmark's Niels Christian Kaldau.

In the men's doubles first round late on Tuesday, world champions Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark defeated Liu Kwok Ka and Albertus Susanto Njoto 17-16, 15-8.

The event was originally scheduled for May but was pushed back over fears of the SARS virus.

The results: men's singles: Peter Gade (Den) bt Kenneth Jonassen (Den) 15-3, 15-12; Chen Hong (Chi) bt Colin Haughton (GBr) 15-8, 15-4; Xia Xuanze (Chi) Ong Ewe Hock (Mal) 15-8, 12-15, 15-12; Wong Choong Hann (Mal) bt Rasmus Wengberg (Swe) 15-12, 17-14; Lee Tsuen Seng (Mal) Roslin Hashim (Mal) 15-9, 15-7; P. Gopi Chand (Ind) lost to Niels Christian Kaldau (Den) 15-5, 3-15, 15-13.

Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Liu Kwok Ka/Albertus Susanto Njoto 17-16, 15-8.<137>

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