After a big upset on day 1 of BWF World Tour Super 750 Fuzhou China Open, where World Champion PV Sindhu was knocked out by a player ranked 42 in the world, day 2 saw another top player, second-seeded Akane Yamaguchi of Japan also losing in the first round. In the men's division, Olympic Champion Chen Long of China defeated his senior compatriot and 2-time Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan.
This is another evidence of the legendary Chinese player's decline. Though the 5-time World Champion won the first game, he got easily overpowered by Chen in the next two. The score-line read 19-21, 21-12, 21-12.
Another major title-holder who found his way into the second round was Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie. The Indonesian defeated his compatriot Shesar Hiren Rhustavito 21-18, 21-17. A third player from that country, Tammy Sugiarto, though, lost to India's B Sai Praneeth 15-21, 21-12, 21-10.
India had another success in the men's singles division with Parupalli Kashyap defeating the winner of last week's Macau Open, Sitthikom Thammasin. Interestingly, Kashyap's wife Saina Nehwal, the 8th seed, lost to Cai Yan Yan of China in a one-sided contest.
But the biggest shock of the day came when the 2nd seed Yamaguchi, who has been out of form of late, succumbed to Malaysia's Soniia Cheah in only two games. This is the third time in the last four events that the diminutive Japanese girl has participated in, that she has been knocked out in the first round.
While the men's singles winner of last week's Macau Open lost, the women's champion from the same tournament – Michelle Li – recorded an easy victory in her match. All England champion Chen Yu Fei, who has been struggling to regain her old form, was safely through to the second round as well after a victory over her Russian opponent. Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon defeated former world no. 1 Sung Ji Hyun easily, in just over half-an-hour.
Other prominent players in the men's division who went through included China's Shi Yu Qi – the losing finalist in Macau. Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen, officially seeded second, defeated his compatriot Wang Tzu Wei in their match. Denmark's fourth-seeded player Anders Antonsen was another victor on the second day of Fuzhou China Open.
