FUZHOU, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Top-seeded Chinese mixed pair Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong powered into the second round of BWF Fuzhou China Open 2019, shrugging off Marvin Seidel/Linda Efler of Germany 21-16, 21-13 here on Tuesday, with No. 1 seeds in five disciplines all advancing.
Spainish shuttler Carolina Marin and Liew Daren of Malaysia retired from matches, sending men's and women's singles world No. 1 Kenta Momota and Tai Tzu Ying into last 16 respectively.
"We didn't start well in the first game. The good thing is that those problems emerge before Olympics, so we can fix them," said Huang, who was not pleased with their performance despite the Chinese duo only using 28 minutes to seal the opening victory.
"We have been partners for two years, and still have ups and downs at the moment. Hopefully we can go through it quickly," Zheng added.
In men's singles, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark saw off Japanese player Kanta Tsuneyama 21-15, 21-19 in 44 minutes, while Ng Ka Long Angus from Hong Kong, China defeated No. 8 seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting from Indonesia 21-18, 21-9.
Momota withstood some challenges in the first game to win 21-17 against Liew Daren, before a sudden retirement from the Malaysian, who claimed it was due to a serious fever.
"I got a cold before I came to Fuzhou. Momota lost several points in unforced errors. I have never won a game against him. I tried [to win a game] today, but I felt that I can't deliver my play because of the illness," said Liew.
The retirement also happened in the women's singles big clash between Marin and Tai. The 26-year-old Marin, who just recovered from a knee injury, ousted the women's singles top seed twice in last two months, at China Open final in September and at French Open semifinal in October.
However, the Rio Olympic champion couldn't find the rhythm and lost the first game in 21-16, and then trailed behind 13-1 at the second game, when she chose not to continue the match.
"She was not in her best, and gave up eventually. I just want to adjust myself and adapt into the competitions soon," Tai noted.
Another grueling women's singles duel witnessed newly-crowned Indian world championship winner Pusarla V. Sindhu lost to Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei 21-13, 18-21, 21-19 in one hour and 14 minutes.
In men's doubles, top seed Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia eased past Goh V Shem/Tan Wee kiong from Malaysia 21-15, 21-16, while world's No. 1 women's pair Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara of Japan thrashed French duo Delphine Delrue/Lea Palermo 21-15, 21-14.
Among Chinese shuttlers, Lu Kai/Chen Lu fell in front of fifth seeded South Korean mixed pair Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yujung 24-22, 21-18 and Chen Xiaoxin was beaten by fourth seeded Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in straight sets.
He Bingjiao in women's singles, Han Chengkai/Zhou Haodong and He Jiting/ Tan Qiang in men's doubles, Dong Wenjing/Feng Xueying and Li Wenmei/Zheng Yu in women's doubles, all qualified for the next round.
In the second matchday of the five-day Super 750 tournament, Chinese Olympic champions Lin Dan and Chen Long will feature in men's singles first round against each other, while China's star player Shi Yuqi, who just came back from ankle injury, will take on Son Wan Ho of South Korea.
