Women’s world No. 1 Li Xuerui pulled out of the Japan Open yeserday with a sore knee and men’s No. 2 Chen Long suffered a shock defeat to cap a miserable day for China.
The withdrawal of Li, the top seed and London Olympic champion, from the eighth leg of the 12-round World Superseries was linked by her teammate to a jam-packed competition schedule for Chinese players, with Chen also saying that he was fatigued.
Li Xuerui, 22, suffered pain in her left knee before the first round started.
Li’s nearest rival and second seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, who beat the Chinese at the world championship final last month, was also forced out the competition, suffering lower-back pain.
The back problem had also sidelined the 18-year-old Thai from the China Masters last week.
Chen, the All-England champion, went out 24-22, 21-16 to Kazuteru Kozai of Japan, ranked 287th in the world and with no major international success to his name.
The packed playing schedule has been a common concern for badminton stars, with Malaysian world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei being advised to reduce his tournament appearances to continue his career toward the 2016 Rio Olympics.
However, top-seeded Lee, 30, who skipped the China Masters to focus on the Japan Open, breezed past Taiwan’s Hsu Jen Hao 21-15, 21-9 in the final match of the first round.
Taiwan’s top male badminton player, Chou Tien-chen, on Saturday bowed out in the men’s singles semi-finals at the Thailand Open after losing in straight games to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The world No. 6 Chou, seeded fourth at the Super 500 tournament, lost to the world No. 2 Thai 21-7, 21-19 in 53 minutes. The victory improved Vitidsarn’s head-to-head record against Chou to 3-5. Chou, 36, trailed throughout the opening game after the score was tied 2-2. His relatively passive approach allowed the 25-year-old Thai to capitalize on Chou’s defensive clears with powerful smashes while committing few unforced errors. The Taiwanese
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MLB is experiencing an epidemic of guys being dudes. At ballparks all across the US, groups consisting of mostly young men are joining in on the “Tarps Off” trend that is loud, goofy, infectious and new to the baseball world. Joining in on the fun is simple: Go to the section where the party is happening, take off your shirt and start twirling it above your head. Soccer-like chants or singing usually follow — injecting a jolt of energy for a sport that is occasionally chided for its lack of energy inside the stadium. After getting its start in St Louis, Missouri, on
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