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Olympic champion Lin and world No.1 Lee ease into China Masters quarters

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-17 16:28

CHANGZHOU: Olympic champion Lin Dan and world number one Lee Chong Wei moved one step closer to a meeting after they each booked a quarterfinal berth at the China Masters badminton super series here on Thursday.

Beijing Olympics and world champion Lin beat Hsien Yu Hsin of Chinese Taipei 21-15, 21-19 after Malaysian ace Lee Chong Wei sailed past Rajiv Ouseph of England 21-15, 21-8 in just 26 minutes.

Lee, Beijing Olympics runner-up, said he hoped to face Lin.

"I was doing well today and I wished I could carry on the form to go further in the top half," said the 27-year-old. "Hopefully I can play Lin Dan in the semifinals."

Related readings:  Lin Dan chases hat-trick of World titles  Lin Dan eases into All England last 8  Lin Dan: I'll keep on fighting  Lin Dan of China wins badminton men's singles gold Controversial Lin Dan set to rule Beijing

In the mixed doubles, China captured seven of the eight spots in the third round.

As South Korea's top seed and Beijing Olympics winners Lee Yong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung pulled out of the event due to Lee's injury, Ko Sung Hyun/Ha Jung Eun became the sole non-Chinese pair in the third round after overcoming fellow South Koreans Shin Baek Cheol/Jang Ye Na 21-23, 21-11, 21-16. They next meet Beijing Games bronze medalists He Hanbin/Yu Yang.

In women's singles, world number one Zhou Mi from Hong Kong, China raced to win the second round 21-7, 21-17 over Japanese Shizuka Uchida but Hong Kong's Wang Chen retired due to knee injury, sending 19-year-old Malaysian Golden Grand Prix winner Wang Shixian into the third round.