With around ten matches still to go, the action in Nanjing is wild and shining! This also means that a lot of astonishing matches already have been finished.
Mark Caljouw (Netherlands) had a very tough first round match as he faced no one else than the legendary Lin Dan (China). With a 14-21 14-21 defeat in straight games, Caljouw could not deliver a surprise today.
- I gave everything against Lin Dan today. He was just simply better.
Read: Great preparation for Natalia Perminova
Great experience
Nevertheless, Caljouw is not disappointed and cherish this match as a lesson.
- It is always nice to play against a legend, like Lin Dan.
- I need to work harder to get closer, but this was a great experience!
Read: World Championships countdown: preview with Adrian Dziolko.
European progresses
Caljouw’s compatriot Soraya de Visch Eijbergen did manage to make it into the second round. In straight games she overpowered Maria Ulitina (Ukraine). Rajiv Ouseph (England) and Viktor Axelsen did what was expected from them and also proceeded to the second round.
Chloe Birch created a little upset as she beat Beatriz Corrales (Spain) in two games. Even when Birch was 12-17 down in the second game, she prevented Corrales to turn the tide. With a rush to the end, the match was 21-17 and 21-19 for Birch.
Another thriller of the day was definitely the match between Raul Must (Estonia) and Vladimir Malkov. The match lasted one hour and 10 minutes, but in the end it was Must who took the three games win!
Find all the matches of the Total BWF World Championships here.
Find the live stream of the matches at the Badmintonworldtv channel here.