Date:11/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/11/stories/2005031101151900.htm

Sport - Badminton

Indian challenge in singles ends

BIRMINGHAM, MARCH 10. The Indian challenge in the singles event of the Yonex All-England badminton championship came to an end here on Thursday.

Women's National champion Aparna Popat fought brilliantly before going down to Olympic bronze medallist and fourth-seeded Zhou Mi of China 6-11, 8-11 in the second round.

Earlier in the first round, National No. 2 Trupti Murgunde lost to Yuan Wemyss of Scotland 8-11, 11-2, 7-11. In the men's singles, Arvind Bhat, who advanced to the second round with a 8-15, 15-8, 15-6 win over George Rimaacdi of Germany, lost to Liao Sheng-Shuin of Chinese Taipei 9-15, 17-14, 10-15.

The results: Men's singles (second round): Liao Sheng-Shuin (Chinese Taipei) bt Arvind Bhat (Ind) 8-15, 15-8, 15-6; Aamir Ghaffar (Eng) bt Dicky Palyama (Ned) 10-15, 15-13, 15-12; Chen Jin (Chn) bt Ahn Hyun-Suk (Kor) 10-15, 15-12, 15-7; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Lee Yen Hui Kendrick (Sing) 15-8, 15-9; Shoji Sato (Jpn) bt Kenneth Jonassen (Den) 7-15, 15-8, 15-10; Bao Chuunlai (Chn) bt Przemyslaw Wacha (Pol) 15-7, 15-4; Shon Seung-Mo (Kor) bt Pedro Yang (Gua) 15-6, 15-9; Kuan Beng Hong (Mas) bt Anders Boesen (Den) 15-11, 15-8; Muhammad Roslin Hashim (Mas) bt Andrew Dabeka (Can) 15-6, 15-7; Peter Gade (Den) bt Rasmus Wengberg (Swe) 15-3, 15-1; Lee Hyun-Il (Kor) bt Park Sung-Hwan (Kor) 15-2, 15-6; Muhammad Hafiz Hashim (Mas) bt Marc Zwiebler (Ger) 15-8, 15-4.

Women's singles: Second round: Zhou Mi (Chn) bt Aparna Popat (Ind) 11-6, 11-8. First round: Yuan Wemyss (Sco) bt Trupti Murgunde (Ind) 11-8, 11-2, 11-7; Elizabeth Cann (Eng) bt Ragna Ingridsdottir (Icl) 11-10, 13-10; Cheng Shao-Chieh (Tpe) bt Mette Pedersen (Den) 11-3, 11-5; Yu Hirayama (Jpn) bt Chen Li (Chn) 11-7, 10-13, 11-5; Wong Mew Choo (Mas) bt Kati Tolmoff (Est) 11-1, 11-1; Maria Kristin Yulianti (Ina) bt Tatiana Vattier (Fra) 11-5, 8-11, 11-1; Seo Yoon-Hee (Kor) bt Solenn Pasturel (Eng) 11-1, 11-3; Yuan Wemyss (Sco) bt Trupti Murgunde (Ind) 11-8, 2-11, 11-7. — Agencies