Badminton

India bounced back from their opening-match defeat to Denmark with a 4-1 win over Indonesia on Tuesday to keep alive their hopes of a quarter-final place at the 2017 Sudirman Cup. 

Malaysia thrashed Germany 5-0 in the day's other Group 1 match. There were also 5-0 whitewashes for Vietnam, Macau, Australia and Singapore as they took on Canada, New Caledonia, Austria and the USA, respectively.

Meanwhile, Scotland ran out 4-1 winners over New Zealand, and Fiji beat Tahiti by the same scoreline.

Full results can be found at the tournament's official website, while the latest schedule can be found at SudirmanCup.com.au. Scoreboard.com provided the updated Group 1 standings.

    

Tuesday Recap

India played better than their 4-1 scoreline against Denmark suggested on Monday, and they showed their ability when they took on Indonesia, dropping just one match.

Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy got them off to a winning start, albeit it took them over an hour to get past Tontowi Ahmad and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja in a close battle, 22-20, 17-21, 21-19.

Srikanth Kidambi and Pusarla Sindhu handed them straightforward wins in the men's and women's singles either side of a men's doubles defeat to Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, confirming India as the victors before Ponappa and N. Sikki Reddy capped it off with a win in the women's doubles.

Indian doubles specialist Gutta Jwala hailed the performance:

A great win by team India 🇮🇳 @BAI_Media
It only means how important is the contribution of the paired events..
Congratulations guys 👏🏼👍🏻

— Gutta Jwala 💙 (@Guttajwala) May 23, 2017

Germany also lost their opening match on Sunday when they came up against Japan, but they failed to turn things around and will exit the tournament at the group stage as a result.

Malaysia did not drop a single game over the course of the five matches, and they had wrapped it up in under three hours, with the longest match being the 42-minute opener as Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing beat Mark Lamsfuss and Isabel Herttrich 21-17, 21-13 in the mixed doubles.

BadmintonWorldTV provided some highlights of the one-sided contest:

Scotland successfully recovered from their defeat to Canada on Sunday and in some style, too, with New Zealand only able to take the final match as a solitary consolation.

Martin Campbell and Patrick MacHugh edged out Kevin Dennerly-Minturn and Oliver Leydon-Davis in the longest match of the contest at 48 minutes, before Kirsty Gilmour quickly dispatched Gaea Galvez 21-5, 21-9 in just 21 minutes to double Scotland's lead.

Kieran Merrilees made sure of the win soon after with a 21-15, 21-18 victory over Oscar Guo.

Per Dev Sukumar for the tournament's official website, Merrilees said: "We wanted to really win today after losing to Canada."

He added: "If we beat Vietnam we still can win the group, so that’s the aim, but we know it’s going to be hard. We were surprised with Canada, I don’t really know [why they didn’t field their best players]. When we saw that we knew we had a good chance at getting to No. 1 in the group."

Indeed, it's wide open in Group 2A, with Vietnam, Canada and Scotland all still capable of topping the group.

The Vietnamese have the advantage after beating both New Zealand and Canada, but a win for Scotland on Wednesday could see them finish first depending on Canada's result against the Kiwis.

Denmark beat India 4-1 at the 2017 Sudirman Cup on Monday, while Thailand held off a Hong Kong comeback on Australia's Gold Coast to win 3-2. 

In the day's other Group 1 fixture Chinese Taipei beat Russia 4-1, meaning Russia and Hong Kong are now out of the competition having played and lost both of their group matches, while China, Thailand, Taipei and South Korea have all booked their places in the quarter-finals.

In Group 2, Australia eased past the USA 4-1, while Singapore thrashed Austria 5-0. Macau, Sri Lanka and Slovakia all enjoyed wins by the same scoreline in the Group 3 action against Guam, Tahiti and Fiji, respectively.

Full results can be found at the tournament's official website, while the updated schedule can be found at SudirmanCup.com.au. Scoreboard.com provided the latest Group 1 standings.

Monday Recap

Denmark's match with India was filled with Olympic quality and all the medallists won their contests.

Christinna Pedersen and Joachim Fischer Nielsen earned bronze at London 2012, though they were given a tough time by Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwicksairaj Rankireddy in the mixed doubles, taking over an hour to eventually win 21-15, 16-21, 21-17.

Viktor Axelsen eased past Ajay Jayaram in 27 minutes in the men's singles and the men's doubles went Denmark's way soon after.

Pusarla Sindhu, who took home silver at Rio last year, showed her class as she swept aside Line Kjaersfeldt in the women's singles to earn a consolation for India, while women's doubles runners-up Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl had to come from behind to beat Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy 18-21, 21-15, 23-21.

Professional badminton player H.S. Prannoy hailed the latter pairing's effort:

Great effort from @P9Ashwini and @sikkireddy against the current Olympic medalists!! Too close in the decider 😐😐

— PRANNOY HS (@PRANNOYHSPRI) May 22, 2017

BadmintonWorldTV provided some highlights of the outstanding contest:

Taipei beat Russia by the same scoreline, though they had a somewhat more straightforward time than Denmark did in beating India.

Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov were responsible for Russia's only win in the match, as they came from behind to take the men's doubles against Jhe-Huei Lee and Yang Lee in a close contest that finished 19-21, 21-19, 21-17.

Their team-mates struggled to match Taipei's quality, however, with Sergey Sirant the only other Russian to take a game off their opponents.

Thailand took a 2-0 lead over Hong Kong as they triumphed in the men's doubles and women's singles, the former lasting over an hour as Bodin Isara and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet beat Chin Chung Or and Chun Man Tang 22-20, 17-21, 21-11.

Hong Kong fought back valiantly as they claimed the men's singles and women's doubles, the latter being particularly hard-fought as it lasted one hour and 16 minutes, the longest match of the entire day.

They were unable to complete their comeback, though, as they lost both mixed doubles games 21-16.

Defending champions China beat Hong Kong on the first day of the 2017 Sudirman Cup at Australia's Gold Coast on Sunday. China won 4-1, and there were also wins for Japan and Vietnam in the Group 1 fixtures.

Elsewhere, Canada survived a squeaker to beat Scotland 3-2 after a stunning comeback from two down, and Slovakia hammered Tahiti 5-0 in Group 3 action.

For the full results, go to the tournament's official website. The updated schedule can be found at SudirmanCup.com.au. Meanwhile, the updated standings are available at Scoreboard.com.

Recap

There was initial trouble for China in the men's doubles, where an unfamiliarity between their star pair of Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan led to some poor play early on, per SudirmanCup.com.au:

"They've only spent one hour and nine minutes or two matches together this year so it was evident that the famous Chinese pair were keeping their strategy simple, seldom deviating from Fu looking after the rear court. The majority of the time was spent finding back the sweet timing that brought them gold medals at Rio."

However, the Chinese soon steadied themselves to take the match by winning back-to-back games 21-15 and 26-24. BadmintonWorld.tv's official YouTube channel relayed some highlights of this exceptional doubles match:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-Lr_eUPPo

The reigning champions later asserted themselves in the men's singles when Lin Dan controlled proceedings against Hu Yun. He won comfortably 21-14 and 21-13.

Things were different for Japan, who had to recover from losing a men's singles match when Marc Zwiebler beat Kenta Nishimoto 21-8 and 21-18. Fortunately for the Japanese, they had too much class in the men's doubles.

The pairing of Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda made quick work of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Emil Seidel in the first game of their match, winning 21-12. Things were much closer in the next game, with Japan just edging it by two points.

Vietnam won comfortably against New Zealand, taking all but one match in every category. Their only blip came in the men's doubles, with Kevin Dennerly-Minturn and Oliver Leydon-Davis getting one on the board for their country.

Things were a lot closer for Scotland, with Kirsty Gilmour falling to Michelle Li in the women's singles event. To her credit, Gilmour battled back after losing the first game 21-12 to take a marathon second game 24-22.

However, it was as close as she got as Li won the third match 21-18. Gimour's defeat was part of three-match slide from Scotland, who had opened up a 2-0 lead, before letting things slip altogether.

Kieran Merrilees had made it 2-0 to Scotland after beating Jason Anthony Ho-Shue in the men's singles. Afterwards, Merrilees was magnanimous in victory, per SudirmanCup.com.au: "It's a nice stadium although there is a little bit of wind. This is where my experience could have helped me."

The opening day also featured shutout wins for both Slovakia and Sri Lanka, while Korea Republic downed Russia 4-1 in Group 1B. However, the first day is all about China, with the winners of the last six tournaments in a row showing their credentials as the continued class of this competition.

China will still be the team to beat when the 2017 Sudirman Cup begins on Australia's Gold Coast on Sunday.

The Chinese have won this tournament six times in a row and won't be intimidated by being drawn in a tough Group 1A for the mixed Badminton event.

The full groups were revealed on the tournament's official website. Meanwhile, the same source also relayed the match schedule and order of play.

China will begin its title defense against Hong Kong on the opening day. Yet, the champions will likely be more wary of a Thailand team loaded with marquee talent, particularly in the form of mixed pairing Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh, per Badzine.net's Aaron Wong.

However, China will count on Zhang Nan and his Olympic pedigree to lead a team strong at every spot. Fu Haifeng will also lend ample amounts of know-how and skill as the champions remain an ominous force, according to Wong.

Australia face a tough task after being placed in a daunting Group 2B. The host nation will meet USA, Austria and a capable Singapore squad.

However, Australia isn't the only team facing up to a challenging draw. In fact, India's Kidambi Srikanth bemoaned being placed in Group 1B along with Indonesia and Denmark, per FirstPost:

I feel we have a really tough draw as we are up against Indonesia and Denmark. I think these are one of the strong teams. So it won't be easy but if it is our day then we can win.

There was more optimism from Lee Chong Wei, the veteran of Malaysia's gifted team. The 34-year-old talked up his nation's chances in Group 1C, per Rajes Paul of The Star:

V Shem, Wee Kiong, Peng Soon and I have played in the Sudirman Cup before. We've the experience. There are a few new faces like Jin Wei and Yew Sin-Ee Yi but they are very determined.

Chong Wei may be confident, but Malaysia's path to progress is set to be a tricky one with Japan in the same group.

The Japanese traditionally thrive in the women's event, but they will need a player such as Takeshi Kamura to step up in the men's singles, per Wong.

Overall, China still look like the team to beat on the Gold Coast. The competition is strong, but the 11-time winners will have too much talent for the rest of the draw.

The 2015 Badminton World Championships are set to kick off Monday in Jakarta, Indonesia. As always, the Badminton World Federation will provide full coverage and live streams via their YouTube channel, ensuring fans don't have to miss a second of the action.

The top players in the world will start their bids to win world titles in five different categories Monday, with the finals scheduled for Sunday. China are the favourites to take home the gold in most categories, with badminton legend Lin Dan once again leading the team. Here's a look at the schedule for the upcoming event:

Date	Round
Monday, August 10	Round of 64/48
Tuesday, August 11	Round of 64/48/32
Wednesday, August 12	Round of 32
Thursday, August 13	Round of 16
Friday, August 14	Quarter-Finals
Saturday, August 15	Semi-Finals
Sunday, August 16	Finals

For the full schedule of each individual match, check the event's official website by clicking here.

Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei may be entering the men's tournament as the ultimate wild card, but all eyes will be on Chinese rivals Lin and Chen Long in the coming week. Two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion Lin is in excellent form entering the event, and he seems eager to reclaim the title from defending champion Chen.

The draw for the tournament was made back in July, with Lee seeded in the top part of the draw and the Chinese favourites both in the bottom but in separate quarters. BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer still thinks there's potential for some great clashes in the early rounds, per Dev Sukumar of BWFBadminton.org:

"I can see that there are many good matches and I’m looking forward to being there as a fan and as a spectator," he said. "There are some tremendous matches from the first day. There will be disappointments, but also a lot of joy."

Chen has been on a fantastic run of form of late, winning four titles this season, and with Lin slowly creeping toward the end of his career, 2015 could be the year in which his compatriot takes over the crown as the top star in the sport.

Fans shouldn't forget about the 32-year-old Lee, however. The three-time runner-up and two-time Olympic medalist always seems to fall just short of the ultimate glory, but per GiveMeSport's Karan Faja, a different path to this year's tournament may make a difference:

This year, the situation is different for the Malaysian superstar. He goes into the World Championships unseeded for the first time ever.

Lee was banned for testing positive for dexamethasone last year and was banned for eight months.

...

Despite being out of the game for eight months, Lee managed to secure a berth in the World Championships and is ranked 46 in the world currently. A change in the usual scenario may prove to be good for unseeded Lee who isn't considered among the favorites for the event because of his ranking and his long absence from the game.This may lift the weight of his shoulders.

Lee picked up back-to-back wins in the U.S. Open and Canada Open in June and looked every bit as sharp as he did before his suspension. With a relatively easy path to the latter rounds, perhaps this could finally be his year.

In the women's tournament, Spain's Carolina Marin hopes to defend her crown against a host of Asian stars. Li Xuerui has been seeded in the top half of the draw and received a bye in her opener, so should the two meet, the latter should have the fresher legs.

Saina Nehwal and Wang Yihan appear destined to meet in the quarter-finals, which should provide fans with the first top clash in the women's division. Both will have a spot in the final on their minds, and while Saina is the higher seed coming into the tournament, Wang will like her chances, given her strong form.

Follow @ReverschPass.

China cruised to a sixth consecutive Sudirman Cup win on Sunday, beating Japan 3-0 in the 2015 edition of the team badminton tournament to win their 10th overall crown.

France24 shared the news:

China sweep Japan to take Sudirman Cup http://t.co/jnneEj0BJ5 pic.twitter.com/naGtw9CqrY

— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) May 17, 2015

The heavy favourites were dominant throughout the tournament, and while the inexperienced Japanese team put up a good fight in the final, fatigue played a major role in the outcome of the match.

Japan completed their 3-2 semi-final win over South Korea well past midnight, and it was clear from the opening match that China simply had the fresher legs. That shouldn't take anything away from China's big win, however―there's a reason the team has dominated this tournament in recent years. They're simply too good.

Indonesian politician Gita Wirjawan was one of many to congratulate the Asian giants on their title:

Congrats China for the 10th Sudirman Cup title. To the Indonesian team, travel home safe!

— Gita Wirjawan (@GWirjawan) May 17, 2015

Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan needed three games to get past Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa in the first match of the final, the men's doubles, with the final score reading 21-17, 20-22 and 21-17.

That match produced the highlight of the day and one of the best rallies you'll see all season:

World No.1 Li Xuerui easily beat teenage sensation Akane Yamaguchi 23-21, 21-14 in the women's singles event, and with the men's singles up next, just about everyone knew the match was over.

Badminton legend and two-time Olympic gold medalist Lin Dan comfortably took care of Takuma Ueda 21-15, 21-13, needing less than 50 minutes to give his team the gold.

As the AFP reported (for the Times of India), Dan confessed he felt some pressure to perform before shocking the crowd by stating the first game was “close”: “Because it's a big contest, I felt pressure. The reason why the score was so close in the first game was because I made a few mistakes.”

China's 10th win in the Sudirman Cup, a tournament that has only been around since 1989, was one of the team's most dominant showings in recent history. But the giants of badminton learned during this edition that perhaps their neighbours are starting to catch up.

Japan's run to the final was highly unlikely given the young age of the team, and their mixed doubles pair was arguably the most dominant of the entire event. With a slightly different schedule and a bit more luck in the first match of the day, the final could have been a lot closer.

Indonesia and South Korea also made strong impressions at this year's Sudirman Cup, with the former only losing their lead against China because Bellaetrix Manuputty was forced to abandon her match due to injury.

Neutral fans of the sport can only encourage those latest developments. Watching the likes of Lin Dan dominate the opposition is a thing of beauty, but more parity and excitement will help the overall growth of badminton on a global scale.

Follow @ReverschPass  

Hosts China prevailed in the 2015 Sudirman Cup in Dongguan on Sunday as they beat Japan in the final.

It was a sixth consecutive win for the Chinese in the tournament that sees the 12 best mixed badminton teams compete in Level 1 for the right to win the trophy.

Here are the results of the play-off stages:

Date	Stage		Score
Thursday, May 14	QF	China	3-0	Germany
Thursday, May 14	QF	Korea	3-1	Malaysia
Friday, May 15	QF	Denmark	2-3	Japan
Friday, May 15	QF	Taiwan	1-3	Indonesia
Saturday, May 16	SF	China	3-1	Indonesia
Saturday, May 16	SF	Japan	3-2	Korea
Sunday, May 17	F	Japan	0-3	China

Here are the updated groups after each day, with daily breakdowns of the action:

Group	Teams	Points	P	W	D	L	Matches	Games	Total Points
1A	China	2	2	2	0	0	10-0	20-2	449-307
	Germany	1	2	1	0	1	3-7	6-17	341-443
	Thailand	0	2	0	0	2	2-8	9-16	418-458
1B	Japan	2	2	2	0	0	8-2	16-7	444-375
	Taiwan	1	2	1	0	1	5-5	12-12	437-431
	Russia	0	2	0	0	2	2-8	7-16	361-436
1C	Indonesia	2	2	2	0	0	6-4	13-9	408-360
	Denmark	1	2	1	0	1	6-4	13-10	428-403
	England	0	2	0	0	2	3-7	7-14	343-416
1D	Malaysia	2	2	2	0	0	6-4	13-9	414-402
	Korea	1	2	1	0	1	6-4	14-10	456-413
	India	0	2	0	0	2	3-7	8-16	414-469

Day 8

China won their sixth consecutive Sudirman Cup on Sunday, as the pre-tournament favourites swept Japan aside in the final, beating their fellow Asian giants 3-0 in Dongguan.

With the home support behind them and their immense record in the tournament, it always looked set to be China's day.

Japan, appearing in the final for the first time ever, started well, as they put up a brave fight in the opening tie of the final in the men's doubles.

Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa pushed Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan all the way, but the Chinese pair eventually prevailed 21-17, 20-22, 21-17 to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

The women's singles was a much more straightforward affair for China as the world No. 1 Li Xuerui beat Akane Yamaguchi 23-21, 21-14.   

Li admitted to feeling pre-game nerves in the final, but she was impressive in claiming the second tie of the day for China, per Channel News Asia: "Because it's a big contest, I felt pressure. The reason why the score was so close in the first game was because I made a few mistakes."

The win was sealed by double Olympic gold medalist Lin Dan in the men's singles. The 31-year-old dispatched Takuma Ueda 21-15, 21-13 at the Dongfeng Nissan Sports Centre to his great delight, per Badminton Updates:

https://twitter.com/badindiaupdates/status/599887755338907648

China have completely dominated the Sudirman Cup since its inception in 1989, the 2015 triumph their sixth in a row in the biennial event and 10th overall.

Japan put up a decent fight but simply never looked in with a chance of claiming victory on Sunday, especially following a late Saturday night finish in the semi-final as they edged South Korea 3-2.

China emerged victorious in some style after eight days of fierce competition between the world's best mixed badminton sides, and they hold the trophy now for at least another two years.

Day 7

Favourites China easily qualified for the final of the Sudirman Cup by beating Indonesia 3-1, while Japan shocked South Korea to set up a tantalising final between Asian badminton powerhouses.

Nozomi Okuhara's shock win over Sung Ji Hyun in the women's singles would prove the difference, as the small Japanese star defended with incredible intensity throughout the match and found a way to let her opponent beat herself.

It was a massive morale boost, particularly following the news in-form Kento Momota would not be playing in the men's singles match. Japan were staring at a quick 3-0 defeat before the mixed doubles and women's doubles would give the team their best chance of beating Korea.

Instead, the score was 2-1 in favour of Korea when the final two matches started, and when Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi ran right through their opponents, the mixed doubles would prove decisive.

Kenta Kazuno and Ayane Kurihara may be relative unknowns to followers of the sport, but the newly formed pair has shown since the start of this year's Sudirman Cup that they have what it takes to beat the best of them.

The Japanese duo easily won the final match, giving their team the chance to win their first Sudirman Cup.

That will be easier said than done, however. Waiting for them in the final is China, the team that has dominated this tournament in recent years en route to nine total titles.

Indonesia stood little chance against the experienced side, although they shocked the crowd in attendance by taking a 1-0 lead after the men's doubles.

But the lead would not last long. Bellaetrix Manuputty retired from her women's singles match with an injury, and world champion Chen Long gave the defending champions the lead in two short games.

Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari managed to steal one more game from China in the women's doubles, but the favourites shifted gear in the second game and delivered the win.

Day 6

Japan and Indonesia joined China and South Korea in the semi-finals of the 2015 Sudirman Cup, beating Denmark and Taiwan, respectively. Both teams entered the tournament with young sides and have exceeded expectations, putting on a show Friday.

Denmark took a shock lead over Japan after winning the mixed doubles, but the Thomas Cup winners regained their composure and battled their way to a 3-2 win.

Kento Momota's 2-1 win over Viktor Axelsen would prove key, with the latter suffering from an illness and nearly collapsing in the third game. As he shared on Twitter, it was but the latest setback to plague Denmark all week:

2-3 loss against Japan in the QF here at Sudirman Cup. We have faced quite a few obstacles this week with... http://t.co/3HcVyfuQVU

— Viktor Axelsen (@ViktorAxelsen) May 15, 2015

Nozomi Okuhara cruised to a win in the women's singles before Denmark again shocked the Japanese side, this time in the men's doubles. Ultimately, the duo of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi held on to win the final game of the women's doubles 21-19, sending Japan through to their first ever semi-final by the skin of their teeth.

Seventeen-year-old Jonatan Christie recorded the biggest upset of the day, beating Taiwan's Hsu Jen-hao in the men's singles to lead Indonesia to a comfortable 3-1 win.

Taiwan's only game came courtesy of Tai Tzu-ying in the women's singles, and Indonesia cruised the rest of the way. The team looks to be in great shape and will have to be at its best when it takes on tournament favourites China in the semi-finals.

The Chinese teams has been nothing short of sensational and blew past Germany in the previous round. Meanwhile, Japan and Korea will resume their rivalry in the other semi-final, to be played on Saturday as soon as the first semi-final ends.

Day 5

Tournament favourites China romped past Germany into the semi-finals of the 2015 Sudirman Cup, winning 3-0 without surrendering a single game to their European opponents.

Lin Dan led the way with a 21-11, 21-15 win over Marc Zwiebler, and BADMINTON Europe shared this action shot of their match:

Chinese superstar Lin Dan in today's Sudirman Cup tie vs Germany's Marc Zwiebler. The Chinese won 21-11, 21-15. pic.twitter.com/syeNnARLHk

— Badminton Europe (@EuropeBEC) May 14, 2015

Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei had little difficulty beating Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels in their mixed-doubles clash, and Fu Haifeng and Zhang completed the job in the men's doubles, needing just 33 minutes to beat Fuchs and Peter Kaesbauer.

China's dominance wasn't a big surprise, and the entire team deserves credit for the way it cruised past Germany. But once again, it was five-time Dan who stole the show. This incredible rally was one of many highlights from his match:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtDjhY5DGNY

In Thursday's other semi-final, South Korea eliminated Malaysia 3-1, with Lee Chong Wei winning Malaysia's only match of the series. The Koreans took revenge for their group-stage loss, finding much more success in the doubles matches this time around.

The quarter-finals will continue on Friday, as Denmark face Japan and Indonesia take on Chinese Taipei. The Danes are the final European team left in the competition and face a very tough challenge, as Japan are seen as the only real threat to China's chances of winning this year's tournament.

Day 4

Group	Level	Match	Score
B	3	Vietnam vs. Italy	5-0
B	3	Australia vs. Switzerland	3-2
C	1	Denmark vs. Indonesia	2-3
D	1	Korea vs. India	4-1
B	2	France vs. Brazil	4-1
A	3	Czech Republic vs. Turkey	3-2
A	2	Canada vs. Spain	[2-2]
A	2	Singapore vs. Netherlands	1-4
B	2	Hong Kong vs. U.S.A.	5-0
A	3	South Africa vs. Austria	1-4

Thailand, Russia, England and India were eliminated from the 2015 Sudirman Cup on Wednesday after failing to claim even a single group-stage victory between them.

BADMINTON Europe posted an image of the quarter-final lineup, with China facing Germany and Korea taking on Malaysia this Thursday before Indonesia meet Chinese Taipei and Denmark battle Japan on Friday:

The draw for the Sudirman Cup quarter-finals has been released. Denmark will face Japan while Germany meet China. pic.twitter.com/AfFAshJF7t

— Badminton Europe (@EuropeBEC) May 13, 2015

Indonesia progressed into the next phase of the contest at the head of Group 1C following a dramatic 3-2 win over runners-up Denmark.

Danish representatives Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen started well in the men’s doubles and clinched the first game but failed to hold off Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, losing 21-23 21-16 21-12.

Bellaetrix Manuputty dominated the women's singles to make it 2-0 in Indonesia's favour and although Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen did his best to start a revival, the Asian nation sealed their progress thanks to a women's doubles triumph for Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda.

Following defeat to Malaysia, Korea needed to defeat India on Wednesday, and though Star Sports confirmed Saina Nehwal's sense of fight, the latter couldn't avoid a 4-1 defeat:

World no. 2 @NSaina was India's lone winner in the #SudirmanCup today! Watch the highlights: http://t.co/uKOnVH0ycf pic.twitter.com/FQTFv5YxP6

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 13, 2015

Nehwal's heroic performance against Bae Yeon Ju was fully deserving of credit, but her team-mates were unable to match those standards as India finished bottom of Group 1D.

And if revenge was on their minds, Korea will have the chance to redeem themselves against group opponents Malaysia in the final eight.

Day 3 

Group	Level	Match	Score
B	4	Israel v Seychelles	4-1
B	2	USA v Brazil	4-1
B	2	Hong Kong v France	5-0
A	2	Netherlands v Spain	3-2
B	4	Sri Lanka v Kazakhstan	3-2
A	3	Czech Republic v South Africa	3-2
A	3	Turkey v Austria	2-3
A	1	China v Thailand	5-0
B	1	Japan v Chinese Taipei	4-1
A	4	Philippines v Ireland	4-1

China sent out a strong message to the other competitors with a second 5-0 win on Tuesday.

Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng opened the scoring in the men's doubles, the only match in which Thailand came close to matching their opponents.

As expected, former women's world champion Wang Yihan and current men's world champion Chen Long were comfortable winners in their singles matches, before the women's doubles and mixed doubles teams dispatched Thailand to complete the rout.

Japan also ran out comfortable victors as they took on Chinese Taipei in Group 1B.

As in their opener against Russia, the Japanese raced to a 4-0 lead in the match, but once again their mixed doubles pairing of Kenta Kazuno and Ayane Kurihara could not close out the contest with a perfect 5-0.

Japan have shown themselves to be strong contenders so far, but their lack of depth in mixed doubles could prove costly as the tournament wears on. 

Day 2

Group	Level	Match	Score
A	3	Czech Republic v Austria	4-1
A	3	Turkey v South Africa	3-2
B	1	Chinese Taipei v Russia	4-1
A	1	Thailand v Germany	2-3
A	4	Nigeria v Iceland	2-3
B	3	Vietnam v Switzerland	4-1
B	3	Australia v Italy	4-1
D	1	India v Malaysia	2-3
C	1	Indonesia v England	3-2
A	2	Singapore v Canada	3-2

Malaysia continued their excellent start to the tournament by following up their stunning win over Korea with a victory over India in Group 1D.

Goh Shem and Tan Wee Kiong drew first blood, as they beat B. Sumeeth Reddy and Manu Attri 15-21, 16-21 in the men's doubles.

Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal leveled the contest for India with a narrow victory over world No. 56 Tee Jing Yi before two-time Olympic silver medalist Lee Chong Wei dispatched world No. 4 k. Srikanth 21-16, 21-15.

India once again leveled the score, as Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa avenged their defeat in the Glasgow final to Vivian Kah Mun Hoo and Woon Khe Wei.

The match was evenly poised, as N. Sikki Reddy and Arun Vishnu faced off against Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying in the mixed double's decider, with Malaysia triumphing to take the match 3-2 and consolidate their position atop Group 1D.

England needed a win to avoid an early exit in Dongguan but slipped to a narrow defeat at the hands of Indonesia.

There were some positives for Jakob Hoi's squad, though, as Chris and Gabby Adcock beat their Indonesian mixed doubles rivals for the first time in five matches:

Tough loss against the better team on the day! All credit to Indonesia who beat us 3-2 however me and @ChrisAdcock1 managed a good win...

— 𝒢𝒶𝒷𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝒜𝒹𝒸𝑜𝒸𝓀 🏸 (@gabbyadcock) May 11, 2015

Over world no3's Ahmed/natsir! Really happy with our performance! #SudirmanCup

— 𝒢𝒶𝒷𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝒜𝒹𝒸𝑜𝒸𝓀 🏸 (@gabbyadcock) May 11, 2015

This will give them valuable ranking points ahead of the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

Day 1

Group	Level	Match	Score
A	2	Singapore v Spain	3-2
A	2	Netherlands v Canada	3-2
A	1	China v Germany	5-0
B	1	Japan v Russia	4-1
B	4	Israel v Kazakhstan	3-2
B	2	Hong Kong China v Brazil	5-0
B	2	USA v France	2-3
D	1	Korea v Malaysia	2-3
C	1	Denmark v England	4-1
B	4	Sri Lanka v Seychelles	4-1

Malaysia stunned the badminton world by beating tournament favourites Korea in their opening gambit in Group 1D.

The Malaysians were inspired by the brilliant Lee Chong Wei, who made a winning return to action after an eight-month absence.

Goh Shem and Tan Wee Kiong, who beat the World No. 1 pair of Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong, set up the victory. However, Korea levelled to 1-1 after Sung Ji Hyun defeated Lim Yin Fun in the women's singles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1CAtuvFOfM

Wei then gave Malaysia the lead once again, with the superstar cruising past Lee Dong Keun for an easy win. The former No. 1 looked short of full fitness and practice but still produced moments of magic to remind the crowd of his talent.

Korea's women's doubles temporarily levelled the score once again before Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying caused the shock of the evening, defeating the World No. 8 pair of Ko Sung Hyun and Kim Ha Na to complete a famous victory.

England were left shocked as they fell in a surprise loss to Denmark. The Danes took the tie 4-1, leaving the English to regroup for the rest of the tournament. There were also straightforward Level 1 wins for China and Japan, who beat Germany and Russia with ease. 

Korea will undoubtedly recover from their bad night and push on to the final stages. Malaysia were inspired, and it will be interesting to see if they can repeat their form.

England are in trouble and looked jaded against Denmark. They do not look in good order to progress and could find themselves victims of an early exit.   

The 2015 Sudirman Cup begins on Sunday in Dongguan, China, kicking off eight days of the world's best mixed-team badminton action.

The biennial competition will see the 12 teams in the elite group compete for the storied trophy, with the hosting Chinese going for a record 10th title.

Meanwhile, the 23 other teams in groups two, three and four will be looking to gain promotion up the ladder that could eventually see them competing for the trophy in years to come.

Here are all the details ahead of the competition's start, including the schedule, teams and a further look at some of the key stories.

Dates: May 10 - May 17

Host City: Dongguan, China

Full Schedule: Visit BWFBadminton.org

Group	Teams
1A	China
	Thailand
	Germany
1B	Japan
	Chinese Taipei
	Russia
1C	Indonesia
	Denmark
	England
1D	Korea
	India
	Malaysia

Date	Stage
May 10	Group 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D
May 11	Group 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D
May 12	Group 1A, 1B
May 13	Group 1C, 1D
May 14	Quarter-finals 1 and 2
May 15	Quarter-finals 3 and 4
May 16	Semi-finals 1 and 2
May 17	Final

Preview

With each contest consisting of five matches—men and women's singles, men and women's doubles and mixed doubles—winning the Sudirman Cup requires consistent excellence.

China have dominated the competition since its inception in 1989, winning the last five tournaments, and have barely been troubled as they prevailed 3-0 in all five finals.

They begin their campaign for a 10th title with an opening encounter against Germany and it should be an opening win for the the hosting side as the world's top-ranked team, per BWF.

Japan could pose the biggest threat to the Chinese in this year's Sudirman Cup having prevailed in last year's Thomas Cup.

However, Japan's talisman in that triumph, Kenichi Tago, has lost form so drastically since that triumph that he will not be appearing in the upcoming competition, per BWF.

The 20-year-old Kento Momota could be the star for Japan, though, if they are to go all the way, and they face Russia and Chinese Taipei in their group.

Denmark, Indonesia and England make up a tough Group 1C. The Danish European champions have lost several of their key players—including Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen—over a sponsorship dispute.

This makes them something of an unknown quantity, and they could be vulnerable.

England have sent out a strong team, including Rajiv Ouseph, Toby Penty and Fontaine Chapman, with the latter clearly eager to get going:

https://twitter.com/FontaineMica/status/596032912664956930

Malaysia, India and 2013 beaten-finalists Korea make up the final group. The Malaysians are boosted by the the return of former world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei from an eight-month doping ban.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning men's doubles pairing will also be in action. Although Tan Wee Kiong—partnered by Goh V Shem—admits they are feeling the pressure, per Kng Zheng Guan of The Star: 

For us everything has not been going that smoothly. We’re improving in game play and getting better in our physical conditions but we have to stay focused. At the New Zealand Open, it was not a good performance at all because we kept making a lot of simple mistakes. I believe we are starting to feel the pressure of needing to deliver. It’s important for us to deal with, think positively and keep looking forward. For the Sudirman Cup, we have been analysing our opponents game and it’ll be down to us to play well. Hopefully we can rediscover the same spirit we had during the Thomas Cup last year.

China are the team to beat, and they are sure to go far, especially given their home advantage. However, there is plenty of quality on show at this year's Sudirman Cup.

The likes of Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia are strong outfits and it should be a fascinating eight days of action before the winner is crowned. 

A star-studded man's singles final lived up to its billing to cap the All England Open 2015 Badminton Championship. Reigning world champion Chen Long bounced back in style to beat Dane Jan O Jorgensen to win the event.

Here are the full results from finals day:

Day 6	Event	Match	Score	Duration
Sunday, March 8	Mixed Doubles Final	(1) Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei vs. (4) Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir	21-10, 21-10	0:37
Sunday, March 8	Women's Singles Final	(6) Carolina Marin vs. (3) Sain Nehwal	16-21, 21-14, 21-7	1:02
Sunday, March 8	Men's Singles Final	(1) Chen Long vs. (2) Jan O Jorgensen	15-21, 21-17, 21-15	1:27
Sunday, March 8	Women's Doubles Final	(5) Wang Xiaoli and (F) Yu Fang vs. (8) Bao Yixin and Tang Yuanting	14-21, 14-21	0:39
Sunday, March 8	Men's Doubles Final	Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan vs. (2) Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen	17-21, 20-22	0:46

Final Day Recap

Long wasn't the only singles player to make a spirited comeback. In the women's event, Carolina Marin overcame India's Saina Nehwal after dropping the first game.

But the Spaniard battled back and clearly had her opponent rattled after winning the second game by seven points. The margin of victory was much greater in the decisive game, as Marin took it by 14 points to earn the match and the championship.

That upset was preceded by a lengthy tussle between Long and Jorgensen. The former was also on the losing end of the first game.

But Long then won some key rallies in a tense and tight affair in the second game, one ultimately decided by just four points. The competition's official Twitter feed captured some of the drama in a match featuring more than its share of close calls:

GREAT PHOTO The drama of an line call review on Championship point in the mens singles final at #YONEXAllEngland! pic.twitter.com/kCmbe7obWe

— 🏆 Yonex All England Badminton Championships 🏆 (@YonexAllEngland) March 8, 2015

Long was a little more comfortable in the decider, taking it by six points to win the title. The victory sparked an enthusiastic celebration:

Lap of honour under way by Chen Long pic.twitter.com/p56lskpoqT

— 🏆 Yonex All England Badminton Championships 🏆 (@YonexAllEngland) March 8, 2015

It's a win that conforms Long's current status as the sport's dominant player. Few can deny he was a cut above the competition at this grand old tournament.

Day 5 Recap 

China's dominance of the 2015 edition of the Yonex All England Open Badminton championships continued on semi-final day. The highlight saw Long dispatch countryman Lin Dan.

In the women's event, Spain's Marin booked her place in the final.

Here are the latest results from the tournament:

Day 5	Event	Match	Score	Duration
Saturday, March 7	Women's Singles Semi-final	(3) Saina Nehwal vs. Sun Yu	21-13, 21-13	0:50
Saturday, March 7	Men's Singles Semi-final	(2) Jan O Jorgensen vs. Sho Sasaki	21-11, 21-12	0:41
Saturday, March 7	Women's Singles Semi-final	(6) Carolina Marin vs. (7) Tai Tzu Ying	21-18, 21-11	0:40
Saturday, March 7	Mixed Doubles	(4) Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir vs. (2) Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen	21-17, 21-11	0:43
Saturday, March 7	Men's Doubles	(5) Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa vs. (2) Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen	21-13, 17-21, 16-21	1:10
Saturday, March 7	Mixed Doubles	(1) Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei vs. Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto	21-15, 21-10	0:41
Saturday, March 7	Women's Doubles	(8) Bao Yixin and Tang Yuanting vs. Tang Jinhua and Zhong Qianxin	21-10, 21-14	0:40
Saturday, March 7	Men's Singles Semi-final	(1) Chen Long vs. (5) Lin Dan	21-13, 21-12	0:45
Saturday, March 7	Men's Doubles	Mads Conrad-Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding vs. Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan	15-21, 9-21	0:36
Saturday, March 7	Women's Doubles	(1) Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei vs. (5) Wang Xiaoli and (F) Yu Yang	14-21, 12-21	0:36

For a full recap of the results during the first four days of play, visit the competition's official site.

For full and updated schedule information, including start times, visit this link.

Marin overcame stubborn opposition to seal a place in the final. Tai Tzu Ying kept things very close early on, pressing several rallies. In fact, there were just three points to choose between the two following the opening game.

But Marin recovered from her early scare to make easier work of the second game. She took the match after claiming a 10-point win.

Afterwards, Marin expressed her confidence ahead of what will be a daunting final showdown with India's Nehwal, per the tournament's official Twitter account:

REACTION FROM @caro_marin2 "I have no pressure on me at all. I just to want to go on court and enjoy the final"! pic.twitter.com/pkUqdsoMeX

— 🏆 Yonex All England Badminton Championships 🏆 (@YonexAllEngland) March 7, 2015

In the men's event, Long set up a final meeting with Jorgensen. The latter stormed through to the final by dismissing Japan's Sho Sasaki in emphatic fashion.

Long was almost as convincing as he saw off Dan. A Long-Jorgensen match is probably the final most would want to see, since it will pit the two best players in the men's event against each other.

Current World Champion Long is aware of the prestige of the event and is keen to finish the job in Sunday's final:

CHEN LONG: "All England is a very traditional tournament with a great history so it would be very special to win". pic.twitter.com/h50qq6ALbt

— 🏆 Yonex All England Badminton Championships 🏆 (@YonexAllEngland) March 7, 2015

As for Olympic Champion Dan, he's not yet ready to call time on one of the most illustrious careers in the sport's history. He has vowed to come back.

The signature moment of the doubles matches came when Indonesian duo Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir reached yet another final. The pair will now chase a piece of history:

FINALISTS! @Badmnton_INA @bulutangkisRI Natsir / Ahmad reach the #YONEXAllEngland Final 21-17, 21-11. Can they make it 4 in a row?

— 🏆 Yonex All England Badminton Championships 🏆 (@YonexAllEngland) March 7, 2015

Finals day will be memorable for the marquee meeting in the men's singles event. But the greater excitement could take place in the women's final, where Marin will be vying for a hugely significant upset.

The BEC's mixed team championships start on February 11 with the competition promising to be one of the badminton events of the season.

There will be only 12 teams competing this year under new rules, as the tournament grows in popularity and importance.

Germany are the reigning champions but will be hotly chased by the European powerhouses of Denmark, England and Russia.

All three nations are the highest-ranked countries in the continental game, as reported by BadmintonEurope.com, and will feel they have a great opportunity of winning this year's edition.

Here is how you can watch all of the action as it unfolds over five days of pulsating badminton:

What: European Team Championships 2015

When: February 11-15

Live Stream: Badminton Europe on YouTube

Where: Leuven, Belgium

Rank	Team
Host	Belgium
Holder	Germany
Ranked 1	Denmark
Ranked 2	England
Ranked 3	Russia
Qualifiers
1	Netherlands
2	Scotland
3	France
4	Sweden
5	Spain
6	Ireland
7	Poland

New Format for 2015

The format of the European Mixed Team Championships has undergone a radical revamp in recent times with a new way for teams to qualify for the event.

At the start of qualifying, 33 teams were involved in a group stage, whittling down the number of countries to just 12 at the end.

The cream of the crop now remain, with hosts Belgium and champions Germany joined by seeded nations Denmark, England and Russia.

Seven other group winners make up the numbers—making the tournament the most fiercely competitive line-up in history.

Group	Teams
1	Denmark
	Netherlands
	Poland
2	England
	Ireland
	Belgium
3	Germany
	Scotland
	Spain
4	Russia
	France
	Sweden

Group 1 is the outstanding pool of the opening gambit of the championship, with Denmark squeezed in with the Netherlands and Poland.

However, the imperious Danes should make short work of their opposition, despite the obvious quality of the Dutch and Polish teams.

Group 2 sees England take on Ireland and hosts Belgium, with the home side using their court advantage against the seeded nation.

England will need to be at their best to progress, with the Irish team in solid form, and the Belgians in jubilant mood.

Holders Germany are likely to be pushed all of the way in Group 3 as they battle a Scotland team who are more than their match. The third-group nation, Spain, features current world champion Carolina Marin in their ranks but they are unlikely to progress.

The final group will be a straight shootout between Russia and France, with an average Swedish team making up the numbers.

France are a youthful collective and they will feel they have the quality to beat the Russians.

Denmark Thirsty for Revenge

Denmark have long been the best team in European badminton and they will feel they can reclaim the crown, won by a jubilant Germany collective.

The German team mauled the Danes in the last final of two years ago, hugely upset the odds to stun the favourites. 

Juliane Schenk lead the charge for her country in the shock result but she will not be present this time, having retired last year.

Denmark will have been despondent falling to their European rivals with it being the first time they have truly been eclipsed by any other team from the continent.

The Danes only won the Men's team title in the run to their defeat to Germany, and they will want to change that in Leuven.

And on paper, the Danish team should win this title as they look to regain the trophy stack of years gone by.

Added to the collection of wins in 2013 and 2014 were the European Junior Team title, as well as the Men's trophy once again. They then reclaimed their Women's title, and now hope for a clean sweep in the sport's four major competitions in Europe.

There is only one side who will have the power and aggression to blow away the rest, and that is Denmark.

Germany have little chance of wrestling away the title once again and may not even qualify for the semi-finals—they simply do not have the depth of the major nations.

England will also potentially struggle with the competition, leaving the Danes to fly through the five-day event and once again reclaim the title.