The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : Kanetkar bows out

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 08, 2004

Sport

Sport - Badminton

Kanetkar bows out

TOKYO, APRIL 7. India's Nikhil Kanetkar bowed out of the Japan Open badminton tournament when he conceded his first round men's singles match against Jens Roch of Germany while trailing 15-12, 13-15, 0-9 on Wednesday.

In another match, former All England champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim was made to sweat before joining his brother Muhammad Roslin Hashim in the second round.

The Malaysian, who has become a marked man since his All England win last year, needed around one hour to score a 15-10, 7-15, 15-4 victory in the men's singles event.

The fourteenth seed Roslin Hashim, the 2001 Japan Open champion, had to adjust his movement against the lights over the court before beating Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama of Hong Kong 15-5, 15-10.

Another former Japan Open champion Peter Gade of Denmark, ninth seed, was a comfortable 15-3, 15-2 winner over Pedro Yang of Guatemala.

Gade needed only 23 minutes and said he was still riding high after finishing runner-up at the All England last month following a long injury lay-off.

Ng Wei of Hong Kong, 11th seed, and Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, 16th seed, became the first seeds to fall, losing to Niels Christian Kaldau of Denmark 15-10, 12-15, 12-15, and Park Sung-Hwan of South Korea 11-15, 15-11, 16-17.

Other seeds, Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia, Chen Yu of China, Ronald Susilo of Singapore and Anders Boesen of Denmark, all went through safely. — AFP

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