PARIS: China suffered its first badminton defeat of the Paris Olympics on Monday, when mixed doubles favourites Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping were upset by Malaysian duo Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei in the opening session of group play.
The country has long dominated Olympic badminton, winning 47 medals, or more than double the combined tally of Indonesia and South Korea, the second- and third-most successful teams. In 17 group stage matches in three days in Paris so far, it has now been defeated once, while in Tokyo, China lasted four days before losing a match.
Chen and Toh won 21-17 15-21 16-21 against Huang and Feng.
"I am happy we overcame them and gave them a good fight," Toh said. "They played a very good game and they really pushed us to the maximum."
Huang Dongping, the reigning mixed doubles Olympic champion who played in Tokyo with former partner Wang Yilyu, said she wasn't too upset because they are still at the group stage.
China's second mixed doubles team in the tournament avenged their compatriots shortly after, making quick work of Korea's Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun to win 21-13 21-14.
The day should have started with India's men's doubles darlings Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, ranked world number three, playing Germany's Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel, but the match was canceled after Lamsfuss withdrew from the Games due to a knee injury. --Reuters.