Lin Dan of China returns the shuttlecock during a match against R Wengberg of Sweden on the first day of the 2005 Sudriman Cup mixed team badminton championship in Beijing, China, May 10, 2005. Lin Dan won the match 15-6, 15-8.

Hosts China opened their query for the Sudirman Cup Tuesday, easing to a 5-0 victory over Sweden in a Group 1B match as all the four title favorites bagged victories.

Chen Qiqiu and Zhao Tingting, replacing the first-choice pair and Olympic champions Zhang Jun and Gao Ling, opened China's run for the title of the mixed team badminton championship.

The world number four pair took the first set 15-3 from Swedish opponents Fredrik Bergstrom and Johanna Persson, ranked 11th, but was forced to trail from the beginning of second until they managedto level at 12-12 before clinching set 15-12.

"We met with stiff challenge in the second set. I think that was partly because of the wind and our strategy also had some problem,"said Chen. "Luckily we adjusted it in time."

Bergstrom/Persson (Bottom) of Sweden try to return the shuttlecock during a match against Chen Qiqiu/Zhao Tingting of China on the first day of the 2005 Sudriman Cup mixed team badminton championship in Beijing, China, May 10, 2005.

Top men's singles player Lin Dan collected an expected win over Rasmus Wengberg, ranked 102nd in the world, 15-6, 15-8 before Olympic and world champion Zhang Ning sealed the victory for China,beating Elin Bergblom 11-7 and 11-0.

All-England winners Fu Haifeng/Cai Yun beat Henrik Andersson/Fredrik Bergstrom 15-5 and 15-2 in the men's doubles before world champions Gao Ling/Huang Sui breezed past Elin Bergblom/Johanna Persson 15-4, 15-4.

Former Sudirman Cup winners Indonesia was met with surprisingly fierce competition from Hong Kong, China although they clinched thevictory 4-1 at last.

The mixed doubles win over Hong Kong of China as Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir push aside Albertus Susanto Njoto/Li Wing Mui with two 15-3.

Whereas their Olympic men's singles champion Taufik Hidayat was stretched into three sets by Ng Wei. He eventually won 15-3, 13-15 and 15-9.

"I was so inspired by the vocal Chinese fans, who pushed me to strive for each point,"Ng Wei said about his surge of form in the second set.

Women's singles Jo Hari S lost 11-8 and 11-3 to Wang Chen, who was again was greeted by continuous thunderous cheers by the Chinese supporters.

But Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto managed to seal the win as theyscraped through Liu Kwok Wa/Albertus Susanto Njoto 15-6 and 17-16.

In the last match of the night, Jo Novita/Gresya Polii had to spend 75 minutes to quiet Koon Wai Chee/Li Wing Mui 15-12, 12-15, 15-5 in an already empty Capital gymnasiam.

In the afternoon, defending champion South Korea secured a 4-1 win over Thailand and Denmark came from behind to outclass England 3-2.

South Korea won with their returned former world No.1 mixed duo Ra Kyung-Min/Kim Dong-Moon playing separately. Ra partnered with Lee Jae-Jin to start the mixed doubles category for South Korea. They hammered Japan Open champions Saralee Thoungthongkam and Sudket Prapakamol 15-11, 15-10. Thai launched the fightback as men's singles' player Boonsak Ponsana survived a full-set marathon battle to conquer Shon Seung-Mo 5-15, 15-8, 17-16.

But the South Koreans then won women's singles and men's doublesboth in straight sets to seal the victory. Seo Yoon-Hee beat Salakjit Ponsana and Kim Doog-Moon/Ha Tae-Kwon overcame Sudket Prapakamol/Patapol Ngernsrisuk.

Lee Kyung-Won/Lee Hyo-Jung continued to surpass Saralee Thoungthongkam/Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn in the final game of women's doubles to complete a 4-1 victory. South Korean head coach said he was still testing the Ra/Lee duo.

"I knew Kim/Ha should have no problem but still keep watch on the newly-paired Ra/Lee," head coach Kim Jong-Soo, "But I'm satisfied with their performance tonight."

Denmark's star mixed pair Mette Schjoldager/Jens Eriksen lost the opening game to current world number one Gail Emms/Nathan Robertson 15-13, 15-9, but Dane then collected three points in a row on men's and women's singles and men's doubles.

Denmark will next meet Thailand, with South Korea battling against England.

Source: Xinhua