Badminton

Moving into the quarterfinals at the world championships, Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan looked poised to add another chapter to their rivalry. 

No. 1 seed Lee is doing what he was expected to do at this tournament: dominate. To reach the quarterfinals, he beat 14th seed Wang Zhengming 21-12, 21-7. 

It was a convincing win, as Lee used his power and quickness to defeat his opponent. Wang offered up a game performance, but he was overmatched from the outset. 

That was a telling performance for Lee after squeaking by in his previous round. Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka took the first set against the world No. 1, 21-14. Lee then narrowly survived the match by pulling out the second set 21-18. 

However, he seemed buoyed by his comeback win rather than exhausted. 

Meanwhile, Lin has been solid coming into this tournament off his year-long break from the sport. 

"Super Dan" was a little sloppy at the start of his match against Malaysian Chong Wei Feng. He quickly faced a 2-7 deficit in the first set.

However, Lin settled and took control. He went on to win the first set, 22-20, and then easily cruised in the second, 21-10. Other than his early struggles in that match, the two-time Olympic gold medalist has been brilliant. 

He has yet to drop a set in his three matches, and until Wei posted 20 against him, the most points he'd surrendered in a set was 17. 

While this strong performance from the defending champion is certainly no shock, it is at least a little surprising that he has returned so seamlessly to the sport that has made him a superstar. He entered this tournament as a wild card, and now he is just a win away from the finals. 

His next match will not be easy. He is set to face No. 2 seed and Chinese teammate Chen Long, who has been outstanding.

He has yet to give up more than 18 points in a set at this tournament. Chen, who is widely considered Lin's heir apparent, took the bronze in London and looks poised to add this title under his belt. 

But Lin isn't ready to pass the torch yet. He still has the edge on Chen. As Chan Kin-wa of the South China Morning Post reports, Lin beat his compatriot 2-0 as they prepared for this event, and Lin's even further along in his comeback now. 

This should be a great match, but I expect the experience of Lin to carry him to the championship round. And the smart money is on him facing Lee. 

Barring a big upset from Tommy Sugiarto, Lee will roll into the championship having not lost a set. Sugiarto has been solid in this tournament, but the eighth seed doesn't have the explosiveness to handle Lee. 

All of this should be good news to fans. The Lin-Lee rivalry is the best thing going in badminton, and it looks like they are about to add a new chapter. 

The 2013 BWF World Championships is the premier badminton event besides the Olympics, and this year’s edition is being hosted in Guangzhou, China.

The tournaments run from August 5-11 and feature competitors facing off in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles classifications.

With the World Championships being held in the TianHe Indoor Gymnasium (10,000 spectator capacity, per BWFBadminton.org), the anticipation from around 400 competitors and diehard fans will make this a special event.

As the tournament progresses, we’ll have updates on each day’s results, how the next day's schedule is shaping up and all the brackets you'll need to follow the action at home.

Brackets (via BWF’s official website)

Updated men’s singles brackets can be found here.

Updated women’s singles brackets can be found here.

Updated mixed doubles, women's doubles and men's doubles brackets can be found here.

UPDATE: Sunday, August 11, 10:00 a.m. ET by Donald Wood

Day 7 Results

Dan Lin Stuns No. 1 seed Chong Wei Lee (16-21, 21-13, 20-17 Retired)

Malaysian superstar Chong Wei Lee came into the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, but was beaten in the finals by badminton legend Dan Lin. In a fierce battle that went to three sets, Lee was forced to retire and Lin walked away with one of the biggest wins of his career.

This is Dan Lin’s fifth BWF World Championship in his career, adding to his already impressive resume that also boasts two Olympic gold medals. While Lee is still one of the greatest players in the world, Lin proved that he is still a force to be reckoned with.

Ratchanok Intanon Upsets Xuerui Li (22-20, 18-21, 21-14)

Just as the No. 1 seed on the men’s side was stunned in the finals, the same can be said for Xuerui Li on the women’s side. The Chinese star was playing inspired badminton throughout the tournament, but was unable to stop Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand in the finals.

While Li’s path to the championship round was tougher—the Chinese star faced three ranked players as opposed to Intanon only facing two lower seeds—the Thai champion was able to hold on for a thrilling three-set victory.

This was a wild finish to an amazing tournament.

Full Day 7 Results

Women's Championship: Xiaoli Wang and Yang Yu defeated Hye Won Eom and Ye Na Jang (21-14, 18-21, 21-8)

Women's Singles Championship: Ratchanok Intanon defeated Xuerui Li (22-20, 18-21, 21-14)

Mixed Doubles Championship: Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir defeated Chen Xu and Jin Ma (21-13, 16-21, 22-20)

Men's Doubles Championship: Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan defeated Mathias Boe andCarsten Mogensen (21-13, 23-21)

Men's Singles Championship: Dan Lin defeated Chong Wei Lee (16-21, 21-13, 20-17 Retired)

Full Day 7 results can be found via BWF’s official website.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Saturday, Aug. 10 at 12:15 p.m. ET by Mike Chiari

Day 6 Results

Match	Draw
Dan Lin def. No. 7 Tien Minh Nguyen (21-17, 21-15)	Men's Singles
No. 1 Chong Wei Lee def. No. 3 Pengyu Du (20-22, 21-12, 21-15)	Men's Singles
No. 1 Xuerui Li def. No. 13 Yeon Ju Bae (21-5, 21-11)	Women's Singles
No. 4 Ratchanok Intanon def. No. 10 Sindhu P.V. (21-10, 21-13)	Women's Singles
No. 6 Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan def. No. 8 Yun Cai and Haifeng Fu (21-19, 21-17)	Men's Doubles
No. 3 Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen def. No. 5 Ki Jung Kim and Sa Rang Kim (21-23, 21-18, 21-18)	Men's Doubles
No. 8 Hye Won Eom and Ye Na Jang def. No. 5 Qing Tian and Yunlei Zhao (21-16, 21-19)	Women's Doubles
No. 1 Xiaoli Wang and Yang Yu def. No. 4 Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl (21-14, 14-21, 21-15)	Women's Doubles
No. 1 Chen Xu and Jin Ma def. Baek Choel Shin and Hye Won Eom (21-15, 21-17)	Mixed Doubles
No. 3 Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir def. No. 2 Nan Zhang and Yunlei Zhao (15-21, 21-18, 21-13)	Mixed Doubles

Chong Wei Lee Outlasts Pengyu Du

No. 1 rated male player Chong Wei Lee of Malaysia made the men's singles final by virtue of a victory over No. 3 Pengyu Du on Saturday, but he was pushed to the limit. Lee entered the match having lost only once in seven matches against Du, but the Chinese underdog got off to a hit start by capturing the first set.

Lee settled in after that, though, as he cruised to a 21-12 win in the second set, and then put Du away in the third. The match statistics paint a very even picture, but Lee got the better of Du in smash winners by a 29-11 margin. The smash is the toughest shot in badminton to return, and Lee's proficiency led him directly to the final where he will meet upstart Dan Lin on Sunday.

Xuerui Li Destroys Yeon Ju Bae

Xuerui Li entered the BWF World Championships as the odds-on favorite to win it all in the women's draw, and she did nothing to change that notion on Saturday as she steamrolled past No. 13 Yeon Ju Bae. It was viewed as a very difficult match for Li going in as Bae had already defeated her twice before. Although Bae's ranking was significantly lower, she was looked upon as the top dark-horse candidate to end Li's dominant run.

Li was the far more aggressive player as Bae was consistently back on her heels. That is reflected by the amount of winners that Li hit as she racked up 42 to Bae's 16. Li will face her toughest test yet in the final as No. 4 Ratchanok Intanon easily reached the final as well. There will be plenty of pressure on Li to perform well in the final, but she is head and shoulders above most other players in the world, and she should be able to come away victorious.

Day 7 Schedule (Times TBD)

Mixed Doubles Final: No. 1 Chen Xu and Jin Ma vs. No. 3 Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir

Women's Doubles Final: No. 8 Hye Won Eom and Ye Na Jang vs. No. 1 Xiaoli Wang and Yang Yu

Men's Doubles Final: No. 6 Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan vs. No. 3 Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen

Women's Singles Final: No. 1 Xuerui Li vs. No. 4 Ratchanok Intanon

Men's Singles Final: Dan Lin vs. No. 1 Chong Wei Lee

UPDATE: Friday, August 9 at 3:45 p.m. ET by Benjamin Klein

Day 5 Results

Dan Lin Takes Down Long Chen (21-13, 22-20)

Dan Lin continued his impressive run at the BWF World Championships with another victory on Friday. He was flawless in his quarterfinal matchup against Long Chen, the No. 2 seed in the men’s singles bracket. He still has yet to drop a set and has rarely been tested through this point in the tournament.

It will be interesting to see if he can continue his hot streak in the semifinals when he’ll be taking on Tien Minh Nguyen, the No. 7 seed in the bracket. His next opponent barely made it out of the quarterfinals alive. He won the first set, dropped the second and escaped an upset in the third.

Chen Xu and Jin Ma Crush Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Zieba (21-4, 21-4)

Chen Xu and Jin Ma have had a couple of close calls in the mixed doubles classification—most notably a three-set victory in the third round after dropping the opening set—but were flawless on Friday. Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Zieba really played poorly against the top-seeded duo.

Xu and Ma will be looking to advance to the finals on Saturday when they take on two of the more surprising pairs in the bracket, Baek Choei Shin and Hye Won Eom. Those two aren’t ranked, but have managed to take out the No. 4, No. 6 and No. 14 doubles teams thus far. A win Saturday make for a massive upset.

Full Day 5 results can be found via BWF’s official website.

Day 6 Schedule

Xuerui Li vs. Yeon Ju Bae (Main Location at Time TBD)

Xuerui Li nearly lost her first set of the tournament on Thursday when she won 27-25 against Tzu Ying Tai. She took care of her opponent much quicker in the second set, winning 21-13. The No. 1 seed in the women’s singles bracket has been strong and needs two more victories to win the championship.

But she’ll have a tough time doing so when she faces Yeon Ju Bae in the semifinals. She’s the No. 13 seed in the bracket and is coming off an impressive victory over the No. 3 seed, Saina Nehwal. She could really make a statement on Saturday if she’s able clinch a spot in the title match.

Chong Wei Lee vs. Pengyu Du (Main Location at Time TBD)

Buckle your seat belts because on Saturday, two of the top three seeds in the men’s singles bracket are going to fight for a spot in the championship. Top-seeded Chong Wei Lee nearly didn’t get out of the second round after dropping the first set, but battled back to win that match and hasn’t dropped a set since.

Pengyu Du is luckily to have made it this far as well. He dropped the first set in his most recent matchup against No. 13 Pashyap Parupalli. It’s taken three sets for Du to win all of his matches in the bracket thus far. If he drops one in the semifinals, it’s going to be very tough to come away with a victory.

For full Day 6 schedule, check out BWF’s official website.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Thursday, August 8, 11:35 a.m. ET by Donald Wood

Day 4 Results

Sheng Mu Lee and Chia Hsin Tsai Stun Sung Hyun Ko and Yong Dae Lee (14-21, 21-14, 21-19)

South Korean stars Sung Hyun Ko and Yong Dae Lee came into the quarterfinals as the No. 1 overall seed and one of the hottest men's doubles teams in the tournament. After dominating the first set, the pair dropped the next two and lost the matchup.

As much as Ko and Lee blew their own opportunity at a world championship, Sheng Mu Lee and Chia Hsin Tsai from Chinese Taipei proved they had the physical tools to beat the No. 1 seeds and the mental ability to overcome losing the first set decisively.

Watch out for Lee and Tsai moving forward; momentum is on their side.

Xuerui Li Proves Her Dominance Against Lindaweni Fanetri (21-10, 21-12)

While Indonesian superstar Lindaweni Fanetri came into this tournament as the No. 9 seed, she was no match for Chinese No. 1 seed Xuerui Li. It took just two sets and a lop-sided 21-10, 21-12 score to prove just how hot Li is in the women’s bracket.

Li is right back to work on Day 5 as she prepares to square off with Chinese Taipei superstar and No. 6 seed Tzu Ying Tai. While Tai is a great player, she doesn’t have the speed or power to hang with Li in this tournament.

Full Day 4 results can be found via BWF’s official website.

Day 5 Schedule

Dan Lin vs. Long Chen (Main Location at Time TBD)

Dan Lin is one of the most underrated players in the 2013 world championships, and after upsetting Wei Feng Chong in Round 3, the test only gets tougher as he is forced to face fellow Chinese star and No. 2 overall seed Long Chen.

Chen has been playing unbelievable thus far, and with a dominating performance in each of the first three rounds—has not dropped a set yet—the No. 2 seed looks poised to send Lin home early and advance to the semifinals.

Chong Wei Lee vs. Tommy Sugiarto (Main Location at Time TBD)

The men’s singles bracket is shaping up to be flat-out amazing on Day 5, as No. 1 seed Chong Wei Lee from Malaysia squares off with No. 8 seed Tommy Sugiarto from Indonesia in what should be an utter war on the court.

Lee has the upper hand in experience, but with Sugiarto playing great badminton through the first three rounds, this should be one of the most dramatic meetings of the day.

For full Day 5 schedule, check out BWF’s official website.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Wednesday, August 7, 10:50 a.m. ET by Donald Wood

Day 3 Results

Long Chen Defeated Sho Sasaki (21-15, 21-12)    

After coming into the tournament as the No. 2 ranked player, Chinese badminton superstar Long Chen has utterly dominated his competition and carried that momentum into the second round against Japan’s Sho Sasaki by winning 21-15, 21-12.

Chen destroyed Luka Wraber in the opening round, and while Sasaki was able to mount some steady offense against the Chinese favorite, there was no chance that Chen was even going to drop a set this round.

Chong Wei Lee Holds on to Beat Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (14-21, 21-18, 21-11)

While No. 2 seed Long Chen thrives in the bottom half of the bracket, Malaysian No. 1 seed Chong Wei Lee has not been playing his best badminton thus far.

After Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka beat Lee in the first set, it took a spectacular comeback to earn a place in the next round with a 14-21, 21-18, 21-11 win. Lee must gather himself quickly if he wants to win the world championship.

Full Day 3 results can be found via BWF’s official website.

Day 4 Schedule

Chen Xu and Jin Ma vs. Jiaming Tao and Jinhua Tang (Location 4 at 1 p.m. local, 1 a.m. ET)

The No. 1 ranked mixed doubles team of Chen Xu and Jin Ma will take on their toughest test of the tournament thus far as fellow Chinese superstars Jiaming Tao and Jinhua Tang in the second round.

This is an incredibly tough matchup for Xu and Ma to face this early, but as long as they don’t underestimate their opponents, there is little doubt that the talented duo has the power and speed to pull of the win.

Xuerui Li vs. Lindaweni Fanetri (Main location at TBD)

In what will be the most exciting women’s singles match of the day, No. 1 overall seed Xuerui Li from China takes on No. 9 seed Lindaweni Fanetri from Indonesia in the most high-profile matchup in the tournament to this point.

Li is an incredibly talented player, but she will be pushed to her limit by the lateral speed and power of Fanetri. If there was ever a matchup that could send Li home early, it would be this Round 2 bout.

For full Day 4 schedule, check out BWF’s official website.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Tuesday, August 6, 11:55 a.m. ET by Donald Wood

Day 2 Results

Chen Xu and Jin Ma Beat Mads Pieler Kolding and Kamilla Rytter Juhl (18-21, 21-17, 21-13)

As the No. 1 overall seed in the mixed doubles rankings, China’s Chen Xu and Jin Ma have an immense amount of pressure on their shoulders, and it showed on Tuesday.

Against the team of Mads Pieler Kolding and Kamilla Rytter Juhl from Denmark, Xu and Ma were able to hold on for a hard-fought 18-21, 21-17, 21-13 victory.

The competition only gets tougher as fellow Chinese pairing Jiaming Tao and Jinhua Tang are the next matchup on the schedule for the top stars in the classification. This third-round battle could be an instant classic.

Ki Jung Kim and Kyung Eun Jung Upset No. 5 Seeded Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh (21-18, 21-19)

The No. 5 seeded Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh from Malaysia were serious contenders to challenger Xu and Ma for the championship, but instead of glory, the duo was handed a devastating 21-18, 21-19 loss to South Korea’s Ki Jung Kim and Kyung Eun Jung.

Chan and Goh have to be utterly disappointed by their performance, but the excellent play of the Korean team deserves emphasis. Kim and Jung will need to keep that momentum going as they face the Japanese team of Kenichi Hayakawa and Misaki Matsutomo in the next round.

Full day 2 results can be found via BWF’s official website.

Day 3 Schedule

Sho Sasaki vs. Long Chen (Main Location at Time TBD)

While the focus has been on No. 1 seed Chong Wei Lee, it is No. 2 seed Long Chen that is playing the best badminton right now. Chen destroyed Luka Wraber in the first round, but will face a true test in Round 2 against Japan’s Sho Sasaki.

Chen is playing some of the best badminton of his life right now, and while Sasaki deserves immense respect for his play coming into this tournament, it will be the Chinese star that walks into Round 3 with another decisive win.

Chong Wei Lee vs. Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (Main Location at Time TBD)

After beating Scott Evans in the first round, No. 1 overall seed in the men’s singles bracket and Malaysian superstar Chong Wei Lee will now take on Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka of Indonesia in what should be a much tougher matchup.

Rumbaka is a veteran player that has the strength and speed to give Lee a real test, but the top seed will advance once again. Lee’s run to a championship will not hit a roadblock in Round 2.

For full Day 2 schedule, check out BWF’s official website.

---End of update---

Day 1 Results

Chong Wei Lee beats Scott Evans 21-14, 21-15

As the No. 1 overall seed, Malaysian star Chong Wei Lee comes into the 2013 world championships with high expectations. Anything less than coming in first place would be an utter disappointment.

Lee’s bid to take home the world title started off on the right foot Monday, as the veteran was able to knock off Irish star Scott Evans by a score of 21-14, 21-15. With Lee already playing at a high level, the field of 64 has been put on notice.

Long Chen Destroys Luka Wraber 21-3, 21-5

While Lee gets much of the attention, Long Chen comes into the BWF tournament as the No. 2 seed and a serious threat to walk away with the championship.

The Chinese superstar destroyed Luka Wraber by a score of 21-3, 21-5, and if Lee or any other competitor felt that this would be an easy win, Chen has other plans.

Fans are hoping for the dream matchup of Chen and Lee in the finals.

Full Men's Singles Results

Lin Dan (CHN) defeated Sattawat Pongnairat (USA) 21-6, 21-9

Lee Chong Wei (MAS) defeated Scott Evans (IRL) 21-11, 21-15

Chen Long (CHN) defeated Luka Wraber (AUT) 21-2, 21-5

Du Pengyu (CHN) defeated Shon Wan-Ho (KOR) 21-17, 16-21, 21-13

Boonsak Ponsana (THA) defeated Matthieu Lo Ying Ping (FRA) 21-13, 21-12

Hu Yun(HKG) defeated Niluka Karunaratne (SRI) 21-13, 21-16

Nguyen Tien Minh (VIE) defeated Joe Wu (NZL) 21-8, 21-11

Tommy Sugiarto (INA) defeated Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (DEN) 21-18, 15-21, 21-17

Jan O Jorgensen (DEN) defeated Lee Dong-Keun (KOR) 21-16, 17-21, 21-15

Derek Wong Zi Liang (SIN) defeated Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) 24-22, 21-16

Marc Zweibler (GER) defeated Valeriy Atrashchenkov (UKR) 21-15, 18-21, 21-14

Ajay Jayaram (IND) defeated Wing Ki Wong (HKG) 22-20, 17-21, 21-15

Parupalli Kashyap (IND) defeated Raul Must (EST) 19-21, 21-14, 21-9

Wang Zhengming (CHN) defeated Yuhan Tan (BEL) 21-17, 21-14

Chong Wei Feng (MAS) defeated Rajiv Ouseph (ENG) 21-11, 21-15

Takuma Ueda (JAP) defeated Ashton Chen Yong Zhao (SIN) 16-21, 21-11, 21-13

Kenichi Tago (JAP) withdrew without playing, conceding a walkover to Eric Pang (NED)

Full day 1 results can be found via BWF’s official website.

Day 2 Preview and Schedule

Sayaka Takahashi vs. Jing Yi Tee (Main Location at 1 p.m. local, 1 a.m. ET)

While most of the top draws on the women’s side have byes in the first round, the best potential matchup on Day 2 will be the battle between Japanese star Sayaka Takahashi and Malaysian sensation Jing Yi Tee.

Add in the fact that this will be the first match of the day and featured on local television, and there is little doubt that these two women will prove that they are just as entertaining as most matchups we'll see on the men’s side.

Chen Xu and Jin Ma vs. Mads Pieler Kolding and Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Main Location at TBD)

The No. 1 mixed doubles team in the tournament is China’s Chen Xu and Jin Ma, and the duo’s first test comes early against the talented pair of Mads Pieler Kolding and Kamilla Rytter Juhl from Denmark.

It is a long tournament and Xu and Ma have been here before. With the lack of pressure and the sheer talent of the mixed doubles team, the Chinese pair should have no problem moving past Round 1 and deep into the bracket.

For full Day 2 schedule, check out BWF’s official website.

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It is hoped the match-fixing scandals that occurred at London 2012 are not repeated at the BWF World Championships, and that the tournament is remembered for the quality of badminton rather than any gamesmanship.

With five gold medals up for grabs, let’s take a look at who might be taking their place on top of the podium come Sunday.

 

Men’s Singles—Lin Dan (China)

The most decorated badminton player of all-time returns from an extended break to seek another world title.

Lin won gold at the London Olympics, beating then top seed Lee Chong Wei in the final in a tense deciding set. His success in 2012 added to the gold he secured in Beijing four years earlier and his four world crowns.

If he’s on form,  ‘Super Dan’ will be unbeatable. But he enters the tournament on the back of an extended break and currently finds himself languishing at 41 in the world rankings, meaning he only qualified via a wildcard entry.

Lin turns 30 in October, so the World Championships might mark his final chance to add to his global haul.

 

Women’s Singles—Li Xuerui (China)

From one Olympic champion to another. Xuerui burst onto the scene in 2012 and has looked unbeatable since.

The 22-year-old has the potential to dominate the sport for a decade but she will face stiff competition from compatriot Wang Yihan and India’s Saina Nehwal in Guangzhou.

What made Xuerui’s London 2012 success even more impressive was the amount of tight matches in which she prevailed. A mentally tough youngster who is also number one in the world is a daunting prospect for the rest of the field.

Men’s Doubles—Ko Sung Hyun and Lee Yong Dae (Korea)

Is this the year Lee finally wins a world title? After winning gold in the mixed doubles at the Beijing Olympics much was expected of the Korean.

Instead his career has seen him collect an unhealthy amount of silver and bronze medals with his inability (or lack thereof) to produce in finals proving a real mental barrier.

The year of 2013 marks the start of a new partnership for Lee, with Ko the chosen man to help deliver him elusive world success. They had an impressive start, winning the Victor Korea Open against World Championship top seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark.

They suffered defeat in the final of this year’s Malaysian Open but the signs are still promising ahead of the tournament.

Women’s Doubles—Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang (China)

The 2013 World Championships offer women’s doubles the opportunity for redemption after the controversy that enveloped last year’s Olympics where four teams were disqualified for match-fixing.

Although they were among the teams sent home in London, it’s hard to look past the number one seeds Xiaoli and Yang who will be desperate to reassert themselves back on the game.

Yang briefly retired after last year’s controversy, but returns now to partner one of the finest badminton players the game boasts in Xiaoli.

If the two play every match at 100 percent, it will be China’s national anthem ringing out on the podium once more.

Mixed Doubles—Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei (China)

The mixed doubles is yet another event China will dominate on home soil.

Third seeds Zhang and Zhao blitzed this year’s top seeds Xu Chen and Ma Jin in the Olympic final and should the two meet again at the World Championships a similar result can be expected.

Don’t count out Indonesian second seeds Tontowi Ahmad and Lilyana Natsir, who have won three tournaments in 2013 already, but with home backing a Chinese pairing are likely to claim top spot on Sunday.

The time has come to crown the world champions.

The BWF World Championships are set to commence on Monday from Guangzhou, China, where the best badminton players in the world will begin their run through the stacked bracket with hopes of winning the title.

Five tournaments are set for the coming days: men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. It’s going to be difficult to go undefeated throughout each bracket, as most of the anticipated matches could go either way.

The BWF World Championships were first held in 1977 and were usually every other year. But in 2003, it was decided that the championships would be held each year, with the exception of years when the Olympics would be held. That being said, this year’s championships are the first since 2011.

Which competitors will rise to the occasion and earn the right to be called world champions? Here’s a look at everything you need to know for the 2013 BWF World Championships, including the schedules, draws and the player you can’t afford to miss compete once everything gets under way from China.

Dates: Monday, August 5 through Sunday, August 11

Schedule (For full the complete schedule, head to TournamentSoftware.com)

Draws

Men's Singles Draw (via TournamentSoftware.com)

Lee Chong Wei (1)

Scott Evans

Misha Zilberman

Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka

Wang Zhengming (14)

Yuhan Tan

Michael Lahnsteiner

Vladimir Ivanov

Tommy Sugiarto (8)

Hans-Kristian Vittinghus

Simon Santoso

Hsu Jen Hao

Marc Zwiebler (11)

Valeriy Atrashchenkov

Howard Shu

Toby Penty

Du Pengyu (3)

Son Wan Ho

Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk

Brice Leverdez

Takuma Ueda (16)

Yong Zhao Ashton Chen

Ville Lang

Viktor Axelsen

Hu Yun (6)

Niluka Karunaratne

Jarolim Vicen

Edwin Ekiring

Parupalli Kashyap (13)

Raul Must

Petr Koukal

Erik Meijs

Pablo Abian

Osleni Guerrero

Ajay Jayaram

Wong Wing Ki (12)

Dieter Domke

Jan Frohlich

Joe Wu

Tien Minh Nguyen (7)

Iztok Utrosa

Chou Tien Chen

Lee Dong Keun

Jan O Jorgensen (9)

Henri Hurskainen

Marius Myhre

Matthieu Lo Ying Ping

Boonsak Ponsana (4)

Dmytro Zavadsky

Eetu Heino

Rajiv Ouseph

Wei Feng Chong (15)

Lin Dan

Sattawat Pongnairat

Eric Pang

Kenichi Tago (5)

Vladimir Malkov

Daren Liew

Zi Liang Derek Wong

Sony Dwi Kuncoro (10)

Alistair Casey

Sho Sasaki

Luka Wraber

Chen Long (2)

Women's Singles Draw (via TournamentSoftware.com)

Li Xuerui (1)

Bye

Jiang Yanjiao

Marija Ulitina

Lindaweni Fanetri (9)

Bye

Beatriz Corrales

Kristina Gavnholt

Tai Tzu Ying (6)

Bye

Nicole Schaller

Kirsty Gilmour

Sapsiree Taerattanachai (12)

Bye

Linda Zetchiri

Li Michelle

Saina Nehwal (3)

Bye

Olga Golovanova

Alesia Zaitsava

Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (15)

Bye

Aiying Xing

Jamie Subandhi

Minatsu Mitani (8)

Bye

Sayaka Takahashi

Jing Yi Tee

Bae Yeon Ju (13)

Bye

Chan Tsz Ka

Line Kjaersfeldt

Adrianti Firdasari

Carolina Marin

Bye

Busanan Ongbumrungpan (14)

Sarah Walker

Kate Foo Kune

Bye

Sung Ji Hyun (5)

Sabrina Jaquet

Olga Konon

Bye

Yip Pui Yin (16)

Akvile Stapusaityte

Juan Gu

Bye

Ratchanok Intanon (4)

Natalia Perminova

Petya Nedelcheva

Bye

Eriko Hirose (11)

Chloe Magee

Pai Hsiao Ma

Bye

Wang Shixian (7)

Kaori Imabeppu

Aprilla Yuswandari

Bye

P. V. Sindhu (10)

Belaetrix Manuputi

Sandra-Maria Jensen

Bye

Wang Yihan (2)

Men's Doubles Draw (via TournamentSoftware.com)

Ko Sung Hyun (1)

Lee Yong Dae (1)

Bye

Rasmus Bonde

Mads Conrad-Petersen

Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki

Hendra Aprida Gunawan

Lee Sheng Mu (13)

Tsai Chia Hsin (13)

Bye

Kevin Dennerly-Minturn

Oliver Leydon-Davis

Ingo Kindervater

Johannes Schoettler

Mohammad Ahsan (6)

Hendra Setiawan (6)

Bye

Ronel Estanislao

Paul Jefferson Vivas

Gennadiy Natarov

Gennadiy Natarov

Alvent Yulianto Chandra (15)

Markis Kido (15)

Bye

Kona Tarun

Arun Vishnu

Adam Cwalina

Przemyslaw Wacha

Hiroyuki Endo (4)

Kenichi Hayakawa (4)

Bye

Chris Langridge

Peter Mills

Chan Tsz Kit

Lo Lok Kei

Vladimir Ivanov (14)

Ivan Sozonov (14)

Bye

Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif

Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari

Phillip Chew

Sattawat Pongnairat

Cai Yun (8)

Fu Haifeng (8)

Bye

Mattijs Dierickx

Freek Golinski

Songphon Anugritayawon

Sudket Prapakamol

Thien How Hoon (11)

Wee Kiong Tan (11)

Bye

V Shem Goh

Khim Wah Lim

Martin Campbell

Patrick Machugh

Jonas Christensen

Marius Myhre

Marcus Ellis

Paul Van Rietvelde

Bye

Angga Pratama (10)

Ryan Agung Saputra (10)

Hirokatsu Hashimoto

Noriyasu Hirata

Lopez Andres

Lino Munoz

Bye

Liu Xiaolong (7)

Qiu Zihan (7)

Chris Adcock

Andrew Ellis

Ruud Bosch

Koen Ridder

Bye

Chai Biao (9)

Zhang Nan (9)

Lukasz Moren

Wojciech Szkudlarczyk

Philip Joper Escueta

Magnaye Peter Gabriel

Bye

Mathias Boe (3)

Carsten Mogensen (3)

Evgenij Dremin

Sergey Lunev

Daniel Font

Oliver Gwilt

Bye

Shin Baek Choel (12)

Yoo Yeon Seong (12)

Hong Wei

Shen Ye

Chen Hung Ling

Lu Chia Pin

Bye

Kim Ki Jung (5)

Kim Sa Rang (5)

Lee Chun Hei

Ng Ka Long

Adrian Liu

Derrick Ng

Bye

Maneepong Jongjit (16)

Nipitphon Puangpuapech (16)

Peter Kaesbauer

Josche Zurwonne

Pranaav Jerry Chopra

Akshay Dewalkar

Bye

Kien Keat Koo (2)

Boon Heong Tan (2)

Women's Doubles Draw (via TournamentSoftware.com)

Wang Xiaoli (1)

Yu Yang (F)

Bye

Cheng Wen Hsing

Hsieh Pei Chen

Bye

Lee So Hee (13)

Shin Seung Chan (13)

Bye

Hui Ern Ng

Hui Lin Ng

Amanda Brown

Kritteka Gregory

Miyuki Maeda (6)

Satoko Suetsuna (6)

Bye

Chan Hung Yung

Chau Hoi Wah

Johanna Goliszewski

Birgit Michels

Jung Kyung Eun (11)

Kim Ha Na (11)

Bye

Liu Ying Goh

Yin Loo Lim

Irina Khlebko

Ksenia Polikarpova

Christinna Pedersen (4)

Kamilla Rytter Juhl (4)

Bye

Yuliya Kazarinova

Anna Kobceva

Eva Lee

Paula Lynn Obanana

Duanganong Aroonkesorn (10)

Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (10)

Bye

Steffi Annys

Severine Corvilain

Chen Hsiao Huan

Lai Chia Wen

Bao Yixin (7)

Zhong Qianxin (7)

Bye

Aparna Balan

N. Siki Reddy

Lauren Smith

Gabrielle White

Gebby Ristiyani Imawan (15)

Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah (15)

Bye

Chien Yu Chin

Wu Ti Jung

Rie Eto

Yu Wakita

Yuriko Miki

Koharu Yonemoto

Anna Rankin

Madeleine Stapleton

Bye

Vivian Kah Mun Hoo (14)

Khe Wei Woon (14)

Isabel Herttrich

Carla Nelte

Gabriela Stoeva

Stefani Stoeva

Bye

Eom Hye Won (8)

Jang Ye Na (8)

Audrey Fontaine

Emilie Lefel

Amelia Alicia Anscelly

Fie Cho Soong

Bye

Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth (9)

Rizki Amelia Pradipta (9)

Imogen Bankier

Petya Nedelcheva

Narissapat Lam

Saralee Thoungthongkam

Bye

Misaki Matsutomo (3)

Ayaka Takahashi (3)

Chiang Kai Hsin

Tsai Pei-Ling

Heather Olver

Kate Robertshaw

Bye

Ko A Ra (16)

Yoo Hae Won (16)

Line Damkjaer Kruse

Marie Roepke

Pradnya Gadre

Ashwini Ponnappa

Bye

Tian Qing (5)

Zhao Yunlei (5)

Rulan Yeh

Rulien Yeh

Tatjana Bibik

Anastasia Chervaykova

Bye

Poon Lok Yan (12)

Tse Ying Suet (12)

Bye

Jacqueline Guan

Gronya Somerville

Bye

Ma Jin (2)

Tang Jinhua (2)

Mixed Doubles Draw (via TournamentSoftware.com)

Xu Chen (1)

Ma Jin (1)

Bye

Chan Yun Lung

Tse Ying Suet

Mads Pieler Kolding

Kamilla Rytter Juhl

Qiu Zihan (15)

Bao Yixin (15)

Bye

Aik Quan Tan

Pei Jing Lai

Jiaming Tao

Tang Jinhua

Robert Mateusiak (8)

Nadiezda Zieba (8)

Bye

Sam Magee

Chloe Magee

Jorrit De Ruiter

Samantha Barning

Michael Fuchs (12)

Birgit Michels (12)

Bye

Vitalij Durkin

Nina Vislova

Freek Golinski

Severine Corvilain

Joachim Fischer Nielsen (4)

Christinna Pedersen (4)

Bye

Songphon Anugritayawon

Kunchala Voravichitchaikul

Valeriy Atrashchenkov

Anna Kobceva

Danny Bawa Chrisnanta (14)

Yu Yan Vanessa Neo (14)

Bye

Shin Baek Choel

Eom Hye Won

Phillip Chew

Jamie Subandhi

Muhammad Rijal (6)

Debby Susanto (6)

Bye

Hirokatsu Hashimoto

Miyuki Maeda

Kona Tarun

Ashwini Ponnappa

Chris Adcock (16)

Gabrielle White (16)

Bye

Chen Hung Ling

Cheng Wen Hsing

Lino Munoz

Cynthia Gonzalez

Jakub Bitman

Alzbeta Basova

Kenichi Hayakawa

Misaki Matsutomo

Bye

Anders Kristiansen (13)

Julie Houmann (13)

Kim Ki Jung

Jung Kyung Eun

Max Schwenger

Carla Nelte

Bye

Peng Soon Chan (5)

Liu Ying Goh (5)

Lee Chun Hei

Chau Hoi Wah

Gennadiy Natarov

Yuliya Kazarinova

Bye

Fran Kurniawan (9)

Shendy Puspa Irawati (9)

Jian Guo Ong

Yin Loo Lim

Peter Kaesbauer

Isabel Herttrich

Bye

Tontowi Ahmad (3)

Liliyana Natsir (3)

Nico Ruponen

Amanda Hogstrom

Chris Langridge

Heather Olver

Bye

Yoo Yeon Seong (11)

Jang Ye Na (11)

Mahmoud El Sayad

Nadine Ashraf

Oliver Leydon-Davis

Susannah Leydon-Davis

Bye

Sudket Prapakamol (7)

Saralee Thoungthongkam (7)

Liao Min Chun

Chen Hsiao Huan

Arun Vishnu

Aparna Balan

Bye

Riky Widianto (10)

Puspita Richi Dili (10)

Anthony Dumartheray

Sabrina Jaquet

Sergey Lunev

Evgenia Dimova

Bye

Zhang Nan (2)

Zhao Yunlei (2)

Player to Watch: Lin Dan, China

Lin Dan didn’t get the best draw for this year’s BWF World Championships, but there’s no question that he could win the tournament. He isn’t one of the seeded competitors in the men’s singles bracket and could end up facing No. 5 Kenichi Tago in the second round if both players win their opening-round matchups.

Lin has a first-round matchup against Sattawat Pongnairat and should come away with a victory. He has owned the BWF World Championships in previous years and enters Monday as the defending champion. He’s won the title at the championships four out of the last five times the tournament has been held.

The only recent year where Lin hasn’t been victorious was in 2010, when he was ousted from the tournament in the quarterfinals against Park Sung-hwan. He bounced back quickly, though, as he was crowned the champion in 2011. He’s also had a good amount of success at the Olympic Games.

Lin has won back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics, taking first place in London and Beijing. The hometown hero will have the backing of the fans, as he attempts to win his fifth career crown at the BWF World Championships. It seems likely that he’ll make a deep run in the coming days.

All statistics and information in this article were obtained via the official website of the 2013 BWF World Championships unless otherwise noted.

*Update*

Another video of the fight has been spotted by Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports that shows the entire conflict between Issara and Jongjit. This video is taken from another angle and includes the beginning of the fight and the throwing of a chair missed in the first video.

*End of Update*

The typically low-contact sport of badminton turned ugly Sunday when a pair of badminton teammates began fighting in the middle of a match at the Canada Open.

The incident involved Thai Olympic partners Bodin Issara and Maneepong Jongjit. The aggressor in this situation was Issara, according to Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports, who dropped his racket midmatch and chased his teammate across the courts at the Richmond Olympic Oval. 

The pursuit came to a quick end, with Issara pulling Jongjit down onto the surface of an adjacent court and punching him in the back and the head. The two were eventually separated by stadium officials, and William Luk and Mike Hager of the Calgary Herald report that the tournament medical staff say Issara required two stitches to patch up a bleeding ear.

Both players were disqualified from the match, and it's unclear at this point whether any further disciplinary action will be taken by the event's governing bodies.

The exact cause of the meltdown has yet to be determined, but bad blood had been mixing between the two men from the very beginning of the match. 

According to the Herald, the pair were assessed a warning for an angry verbal exchange early on in the game and tempers flared as the two “glared at each other.”

Prior to the violent outburst, the two men had played well together, making it as far as the quarterfinals at the 2012 London Olympics before Issara allegedly “retired” from the sport to take care of his ailing mother. 

The truth of the matter, however, is that Issara didn’t retire at all. Rather, the man was “unhappy” training in Thailand’s badminton center and decided to pick up a teammate instead of continuing to play with Jongjit. 

Clearly, their reunion tour will put Guns N’ Roses to shame at this rate.

On Twitter, putting the “bad” in badminton. Sorry.

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Intensity is skyrocketing as the 2013 Singapore Badminton Open schedule nears its conclusion.

On Saturday, the stars still alive in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super Series will compete to advance to Sunday’s finals. Here is the complete schedule for the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles tournament semifinal matches.

Main Location - 1

Start Time	Tournament	Draw
2:00 p.m. ET	Men's Singles	Tien Minh Nguyen vs. Tommy Sugiarto
Followed by	Women's Doubles	Qing Tian & Yunlei Zhao vs. Nitya Krishinda Maheswari & Greysia Polii
Followed by	Men's Singles	Takuma Ueda vs. Boonsak Ponsana
Followed by	Women's Singles	Yihan Wang vs. Lindaweni Fanetri
Followed by	Men's Doubles	Yun Cai & Haifeng Fu vs. Mohammad Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan

Main Location - 2

Start Time	Tournament	Draw
2:00 p.m. ET	Mixed Doubles	Baek Choel Shin & Ye Na Jang vs. Yeon Seong Yoo & Hye Won Eom
Followed by	Women's Singles	Xuerui Li vs. Sun Yu
Followed by	Women's Doubles	Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth & Rizki Amelia Pradipta vs. Misaki Matsutomo & Ayaka Takahashi
Followed by	Mixed Doubles	Praveen Jordan & Vita Marissa vs. Tontowi Ahmad & Liliyana Natsir
Followed by	Men's Doubles	Sung Hyon Ko & Yong Dae Lee vs. Baek Choel Shin & Yeon Seong Yoo

Schedule courtesy of tournamentsoftware.com.

History suggests that Tien Minh Nguyen and Boonsak Ponsana, the defending champion, will advance to the Singapore Badminton Open men’s singles final this year. Tien Minh, the BWF No. 10 player in the world, has never lost to Sugiarto in six attempts. Ponsana, ranked No. 4 in the world, has also never lost to Takuma Ueda, but they’ve only faced off against each another twice.

The women’s singles tournament isn’t nearly as clear cut. While Li Xuerui should advance past Yu Sun with a fair amount of ease—Li is the BWF No. 1 player in the world and Yu is just No. 73—anyone can win when Wang Yihan and Lindaweni Fanetri face off. The No. 5, Wang, and No. 13, Fanetri, ranked players competed twice in their careers, Fanetri winning their most recent meeting at the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships 2013 on March 6 by the score of 21-12, 21-19.

Three out of the six doubles matchups have no history of competition. There is a superiorly ranked duo in each of those matches, though. Barring a major upset, the BMF No. 12 Zhao Yunlei and Tian Qing, who won the women's doubles tourney in 2011, will eliminate the No. 75 Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii, No. 15 Jang Ye Na and Shina Baek Choel will take out No. 136 Yoo Yeon Seong and Eom Hye Won and No. 3 Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir will send Vita Marissa and Praveen Jordan packing.

Other heavy favorites include BMF No. 1 Lee Yong Dae and Ko Sung Hyun who are 2-0 against No. 16 Shin Baek Choel and Yoo Yeon Seong and No. 2 Misakai Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi who are also 2-0 against No. 7 Rizki Amelia Pradipta and Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth. The match of the day will feature men’s doubles duos BMF No. 8 Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun, who won the men's doubles tourney in 2011, as well as No. 7 Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. Fu and Cai are 2-1 against Ahsan and Setiawan, but the latter pair won their latest bout at the Djarum Indonesia Open 2013 just last week.

David Daniels is a breaking news writer at Bleacher Report and news editor at Wade-O Radio.

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One of the toughest badminton tournaments of the year is underway as the top players in the world attempt to win the Singapore Open.

In this week-long event, the first day represented the qualification rounds and there were already some surprises. If this is any indication of the rest of the tournament, it is certain to be an exciting championship to watch. 

Here is a look at the top results and the biggest stories of the day.

UPDATE: Sunday, June 23 at 10 a.m. ET by Justin Onslow

Defending champion Boonsak Posana rolled in straight sets on Saturday to notch a spot in the finals, but Tommy Sugiarto wasn’t prepared to hand him a second straight title.

After Ponsana took the opening game 22-20 on Sunday, Sugiarto surged back with a dominating 21-5 victory in Game 2 and sealed the deal with a 21-17 victory in Game 3.

The Indonesian star was unseeded in the tournament, but he was absolutely dominant on Sunday in securing the Singapore Open title.

On the women’s side, No. 4 Yihan Wang breezed through the finals with a straight-set victory over No. 1 seed Xuerui Li in a match that lasted just 39 minutes. Wang’s 21-18, 21-12 victory was especially impressive considering China’s reigning Olympic Champion entered the tournament looking almost unstoppable atop the world rankings.

The men’s mixed doubles draw was also decided in two sets on Sunday, as Indonesians Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan upended South Koreans Sung Hyun Ko and Yong Dae Lee 21-15, 21-18 in a match that lasted just 34 minutes.

The second-longest match of the finals, the women’s doubles draw was decided in 48 minutes as Qing Tian and Yunlei Zhao of China defeated Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi in straight sets, 21-19, 21-16.

*Match information available at TournamentSoftware.com. 

UPDATE: Saturday, June 22 at 12:20 p.m. ET by Patrick Clarke 

Saturday's action in Singapore was highlighted by unseeded Indonesian star Tommy Sugiarto battling back to defeat sixth-ranked Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam in the men's singles semifinals according to TournamentSoftware.com.

Sugiarto dropped the opening set 22-20, but fought back in the second set, winning 21-19 before easily taking the deciding frame, 21-15.

In the other men's semifinal matchup, defending tournament champion Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand defeated Japan's Takuma Ueda convincingly in straight sets. Following the impressive win, Ponsana looks the like the overwhelming favorite to win the men's title on Sunday.

In the women's singles draw, Chinese stars Li Xuerui and Wang Yihan both advanced to the final. Li won in straight sets over qualifier Yu Sun while Wang battled back from a one-set deficit to knock off Indonesia's Lindaweni Fanetri.

The men's doubles final will come down to a matchup between the Indonesian pair of Muhammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan vs. South Korea's Ko Sung-hyun and Lee Yong-dae, who also won their semifinal match in straight sets on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Sunday's women's doubles championship will be a battle between China and Japan as the Chinese tandem of Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei looks to upset the higher-seeded Japanese pair of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Friday, June 21 at 12:37 p.m. ET by Joseph Zucker

The semifinals are all set after Friday's action. You can check out all of the results on TournamentSoftware.com.

There weren't any real surprises in the men's singles draw.

Fifth-seeded Boonsak Ponsana beat Wei Feng Chong in straight sets, 21-10, 21-19. He'll be facing off with Takuma Ueda, who took out Kento Momota in straight sets as well.

Nguyen Tien Minh is the other ranked player left in the men's draw. The No. 6 seed advanced after Marc Zwiebler retired in the second set. Nguyen will meet unranked Tommy Sugiarto in the other semifinal.

Top seed Li Xuerui advanced in the women's draw. She had little trouble in dispatching Sapsiree Taerattanachai in straight sets.

No. 2 Saina Nehwal was not quite so lucky. She lost in straight sets to unranked Lindaweni Fanetri in straight sets.

The other big surprise came in the men's doubles draw. Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa were upset in straight sets by Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Thursday, June 20 at 3:10 p.m. ET by Benjamin Klein

There were plenty of exciting matches and surprising results on Thursday at the Li-Ning Singapore Open, according to TournamentSoftware.com.

Du Pengyu, the No. 1 seed in the men’s singles bracket, was ousted from the tournament, falling in three sets to Marc Zwiebler. Zwiebler took the first set, and after dropping the second, battled back to win the third, eliminating the top seed.

Kenichi Tago and Wang Zhengming, the No. 4 and 8 seeds, were also upset in the second round of the tournament. No. 5 Boonsak Ponsana and No. 6 Nguyen Tien Minh are the top two seeds remaining.

The top-seed woman, Li Xuerui, is still alive after defeating Belaextrix Manuputi in straight sets. Sung Ji Hyun and Juliane Schenk were bounced for the woman’s singles bracket, each losing to an unranked opponent.

All of the favorites are still alive in men’s doubles. Ko Sung Hyun and Lee Yong Dae advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight sets victory over Ong Jian Guo and Teo Kok Siang.

There weren’t any surprises in women’s doubles either. Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi had the most impressive victory, defeating Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao 21-15, 21-13.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Wednesday, June 19 at 1:05 p.m. ET by Alex Kay

Both the defending champions from last year's Li-Ning Singapore Open have advanced to the Round of 16, along with a plethora of big names and top stars, as per Channel NewsAsia.

Men's singles two-time champion Boonsak Ponsana and women's champ Juliane Schenk are gearing up to defend their titles, with the former advancing past Zulfadli Zulkiffli in two games, 21-12, 21-12. 

It took Schenk three games to advance, but she eventually ousted Chan Tsz Ka, 16-2, 21-6, 21-13.

The top seeds are still alive, as men's superstar Du Pengyu knocked out Anand Pawar, 21-16, 21-13 to set up a showdown with Marc Zwiebler. 

On the women's side, No. 1-seeded Li Xuerui eventually dispatched Sashina Vignes Waran, 21-10, 21-14. She'll face Belaetrix Manuputi in the next round.

---End of update---

Players Advancing (via TournamentSoftware.com)

Men's Singles	Women's Singles
Lee Dong-Keun	Thulasi P. C.
Sai Praneeth B.	Sun Yu
Zulfadli Zulkifli	Aiying Xing
Ka Long Ng	Arundhati Pantawane

Derek Wong Falls Early

One of the top players in Singapore was unable to represent his home country in the main draw after losing in the first round of the qualification process.

Derek Wong opened his day against Malaysian Zulfadli Zulkifli, but the home-field advantage was not enough at Singapore Indoor Stadium. He ended up losing 18-21, 21-15, 21-15, and will have to hope for better success next time.

As for Zulkifli, he won his second-round match as well, and will continue his efforts in the next round against No. 5 seed Boonsak Ponsana. 

Xing Aiying Reaches Next Stage

While Wong could not make it through qualifying, another Singapore native was able to come through on the women's side. Xing Aiying won both of her matches and will attempt to keep winning in the main draw.

Of course, it was rarely easy. She defeated Millicent Wiranto 21-14, 18-21, 21-9, and then needed three games to advance past Ngan Yi Cheung too.

After reaching the semifinals of this tournament last year, Aiying is certainly capable of making a deep run once again.

Sai Praneeth B. Cruises Through Qualifying

Although most matches on the day were highly competitive, Sai Praneeth B. had little trouble advancing to the next round.

The Indonesian player had two victories without losing a single game, only struggling a bit late against Riichi Takeshita. He still advanced unscathed with a 22-20 win in the final game.

He will face No. 2 seed Hu Yun, which is a big increase in competition. However, he can make it a match if he plays as well as he did on the first day.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest updates in sports.

The Li-Ning Singapore Open got its start in 1987 as a large-scale tournament for some of badminton’s greatest players.

Since the inaugural event, the Singapore Open has continued to grow, now representing one of the biggest and most prestigious badminton tournaments of the year.

As noted on the tournament’s official website, the Singapore Open is a terrific event for promoting the sport, and it’s also a tremendous opportunity for both sponsors and players to gain exposure.

This year’s tournament will take place in the Singapore Indoor Stadium—a venue perfectly suited for a major badminton event.

The venue has played host to a number of entertainment and sporting events, and has been the home of the Singapore Open since 2004.

Juliane Schenk and Boonsak Ponsana enter the tournament as defending champions, but there’s plenty of tough competition standing in the way of a repeat performance.

With full fields of 32 players in each draw, winning the Singapore Open will require a lot of skill and a little luck.

Let’s take a look at the draws from the men’s and women’s singles tournaments, as well as the full schedule and a few players to keep an eye on as the tournament starts up on June 18.

Where: Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore City

When: June 17 (qualification) to June 22 (finals)

Draws

Men’s Singles

Pengyu Du (1)

Anand Pawar

Chen Yueken

Marc Zwiebler

Tien Minh Nguyen

Lin Dan (Withdrawn)*

Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka

Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk

Kenichi Tago (4)

Ajay Jayaram

Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif

Rajiv Ouseph

Zhengming Wang (8)

Daren Liew

Qualification Player TBD

Tommy Sugiarto

Kazumasa Sakai

Simon Santoso

Takuma Ueda

Kashyap Parupalli (7)

Sho Sasaki

Qualification Player TBD

Chun Seang Tan

Sony Dwi Kuncoro (3)

Sourabh Varma

Wing Ki Wong

Qualification Player TBD

Boonsak Ponsana (5)

Wei Feng Chong

Gurusaidutt R. M. V.

Qualification Player TBD

Yun Hu (2)

Women’s Singles

Xuerui Li (1)

Sashina Vignes Waran

Nichaon Jindapon

Belaetrix Manuputi

Ji Hyun Sung (6)

Sindhu P. V.

Pui Yin Yip

Sapsiree Taerattanachai

Juliane Schenk (3)

Tsz Ka Chan

Qualification Player TBD

Yui Hashimoto

Minatsu Mitani (8)

Adrianti Firdasari

Tzu Ying Tai

Aprilla Yuswandari

Qualification Player TBD

Petya Nedelcheva

Yeon Ju Bae

Shixian Wang (7)

Sayaka Takahashi

Carolina Marin

Busanan Ongbumrungpan

Yihan Wang (4)

Qualification Player TBD

Lindaweni Fanetri

Qualification Player TBD

Ratchanok Intanon (5)

Porntip Buranaprasertsuk

Eriko Hirose

Juan Gu

Saina Nehwal (2)

*Full draw information can also be found here.

Schedule

Monday, June 17	9 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET	Qualifying Rounds
Tuesday, June 18	9 p.m. to 10 a.m. ET	Preliminary Rounds
Wednesday, June 19	2 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET	Round of 16
Thursday, June 20	3 a.m. to 10Ca.m. ET	Quarterfinals
Friday, June 21	2 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET	Semifinals
Saturday, June 22	1 a.m. to 6 a.m. ET	Finals

*For full schedule with local times, visit SingaporeBadmintonOpen.sg. 

Players to Watch

Juliane Schenk

Schenk took down the 2012 Singapore Open with an impressive run that culminated in a 21-11, 26-24 victory over Cheng Shao-Chieh in the finals. This year, the German will set her sights on defending her title against a strong field of competitors.

Last year's win is the only Super Series title of Schenk's career to date, but she's been playing extremely well of late.

On Saturday, she defeated three-time Indonesia Open winner Saina Nehwal in the tournament's semifinals to secure a berth in the finals and a chance to build significant momentum heading into the Singapore Open.

The No. 3 seed in the tournament, Schenk may find herself facing No. 2 Nehwal again this week, though she'll likely have to get past top-ranked Xuerui Li to set up that rematch.

Boonsak Ponsana

The second half of the returning champions duo, Ponsana, enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed, with a first-round matchup yet to be determined.

Following the qualifying round, Ponsana's tournament path will become clearer, though several top-ranked opponents litter his half of the draw.

The Thailand native continues to find success at the Singapore Open, winning in 2007 before recapturing the title last year. In 2009 and 2010, the 31-year-old posted runner-up finishes, and stands to make another big splash this year. 

The 2013 Sudirman Cup has only four teams remaining on the Level 1 stage, with China, Thailand, Korea and Denmark all still in the mix to bring home the trophy on Sunday. 

A "Final Four" of badminton, if you will, these four teams will square off in two head-to-head matches on Saturday afternoon. The winners will move on to the final on Sunday where the victor earns the spoils of the gold-plated cup trophy and the mantle of winning the tournament. 

If you're unfamiliar with the Sudirman Cup, it's an event that takes place every two years and has been that way since 1989, when Indonesia won the inaugural event. Since then, only China and Korea have taken home trophies (11 between the pair), making Asia the only continent to ever win the event. 

The mixed team format consists of five types of matches and both genders of athletes: Men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles, each of which brings home one point toward a best-of-five format. 

Teams play to 21, and like the sport of volleyball, for example, a team must win two-of-three games to capture the match and earn a point toward the overall score—the first team to get to three wins moves on during the knockout stages of the tournament. 

With only three matches left before the 2013 winner is decided, let's take a look at the two head-to-head ones that will be played on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur. 

Korea vs. Thailand

When: Saturday, May 25, at noon ET

Where: Putra Indoor Stadium; Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Designation: Level 1 - Mixed Team

Korea already has a 5-0 win over Thailand to its credit, a dominant performance, per BWFBadminton, that helped get the Koreans back to the final four of this event for the 13th-straight time. 

Three-time Sudirman Cup winners (1991, 1993, 2003) and three-time runners-up, Korea has a loaded lineup that features Ko Sung-hyun, Kim Ha-na, Lee Dong-keun and others who were a part of the original thrashing of Thailand earlier in the tournament. 

However, the Thais chose to rest Boonsak Ponsana and Ratchanok Intanon—the two best singles players the group has—and were unable to compete with the second unit, of sorts, that went head-to-head against an experienced Korean lineup. 

Korea also downed Germany in straight-set fashion on May 23, 3-0 victors in an another dominating performance from this dangerous lineup. 

Expect the Thais to unleash Intanon in the match on Saturday to combat the talent that Korea has put on display, but it's unknown if Ponsana, who was unfit to perform in Thailand's clinching win over Japan, will be able to put his reputation on the line in men's singles on Saturday. 

Having never been to the semifinals before, it's hard to put a gauge on what we should expect from Thailand. The win over Japan was a shock to the badminton community as Intanon's performance in women's singles was a thing of beauty for the young Thai squad, per the Bangkok Post. 

Without the experience that Korea will boast, expect Thailand to play with emotion and pride during the first of these two semifinals matches. We'll see if it will be enough to knock off an impressive Korean squad eager to return to the finals for the seventh time. 

China vs. Denmark

When: Saturday, May 25, at 6 a.m. ET 

Where: Putra Indoor Stadium; Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Designation: Level 1 - Mixed Team

Over the years, China has dominated the Sudirman Cup. 

The Chinese teams in this competition have won eight totals titles, and that includes two four-title streaks, only broken by Korea's championship in 2003. Simply put, the Chinese are the best badminton team in the world, and they proved that theory at the 2012 Olympics, as well. 

So far, though, China has been tested during the 2013 Sudirman Cup. 

Indonesia gave China fits in the May 23 contest between the two teams, as the Chinese lost both mixed doubles and men's doubles, where Indonesia gained two points and had a 2-1 advantage at one point before women's ace Li Xuerui earned a win and the 2-2 draw heading into women's doubles. 

The world's best women's doubles team, Yu Wang and Wang Xiaoli, finished the Indonesians off for good to move to the semifinals and a chance at an unprecedented fifth-straight Sudirman Cup. With some of the world's best players in tow and the experience that is unmatched by any other team still alive, China will be tough to beat. 

Denmark is the only non-Asian team to ever make it into the finals, doing so twice in the 13-event history of the Cup. After dropping a tough decision to Japan earlier in the tournament, the Danes rebounded with an impressive 3-0 win over the Chinese Taipei squad. 

Jan Ø. Jørgensen looked impressive during his men's single victory, and the rest of the Danes in play managed to put the Chinese Taipei squad away rather easily before the match moved into the women's sections of play. 

In what will be the 11th appearance in the final four for Denmark, the Danes are fielding a strong team and will look to capitalize on China's full-out performance against Indonesia in this match on Saturday afternoon. 

The Sudirman Cup is winding down, but we're far away from a victor. Make sure to keep pace with all the action by first seeing which two countries will emerge from these matches and move on to the finals this year. 

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The 2013 Sudirman Cup is the biggest team tournament on the badminton schedule this year, and the 13th edition of the storied event is one of the most anticipated in the history of the competition.

With 31 teams from 31 nations represented at the event (12 teams made the official tourney), this is truly one of the biggest international sporting events of the year and should be celebrated as the grand spectacle it has become.

The Sudirman Cup is only held every two years, and with so much pride amongst competing nations in the sport of badminton, the action on the courts inside Putra Stadium in Malaysia will be the fiercest we’ve seen since the 2012 Summer Olympics from London.

If you Love badminton, you won’t want to miss a second of this amazing action!

Where: Putra Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

When: May 19-26

Full Tournament Information: BWF's Official Website

Groups 2 and 3 Seedings: BWF's Official Bracket

Team Draw Results

Group 1A

Team
China
Indonesia
India

Group 1B

Team
Thailand
Korea
Hong Kong

Group 1C

Team
Malaysia
Germany
Chinese Taipei

Group 1D

Team
Denmark
Japan
Singapore

Full Schedule

May 19, 2013: China vs. India (Group 1A)

May 19, 2013: Thailand vs. Hong Kong (Group 1B)

May 19, 2013: Malaysia vs. Chinese Taipei (Group 1C)

May 19, 2013: Denmark vs. Singapore (Group 1D)

May 20, 2013: Indonesia vs. India (Group 1A)

May 20, 2013: Korea vs. Hong Kong (Group 1B)

May 20, 2013: Germany vs. Chinese Taipei (Group 1C)

May 20, 2013: Japan vs. Singapore (Group 1D)

May 21, 2013: China vs. Indonesia (Group 1A)

May 21, 2013: Thailand vs. Korea (Group 1B)

May 21, 2013: Malaysia vs. Germany (Group 1C)

May 21, 2013: Denmark vs. Japan (Group 1D)

Tournament re-seeded using world rankings after group rounds.

Predicted Winner: China

There is no better nation on Earth at badminton than China, and the nation will look to further its dominance of the sport by utterly demolishing the 2013 Sudirman Cup.

China is going for its ninth team championship in 13 attempts.

The Chinese team is stacked with talented players like 2012 Olympic gold medalists Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng on the men’s side, and defending world singles champion Wang Yihan and London Olympic champion Li Xuerui on the women’s side.

With that much raw firepower, Team China is the clear favorite.

The Chinese team won’t have it easy, though, as both badminton superpowers Indonesia and India have been grouped with China and will be looking to make a mark on the tournament by beating the top nation in the opening matches.

While every team would like to dethrone the perennial championship threats, Team China is too good to be eliminated before the next round. Expect the Chinese team to make it to the finals and eventually win the entire tournament.

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