Mixed luck for Thais in Korea Open

The Thai pairing, who are ranked 8th in the world, next take on unheralded Xu Chen and Zhao Tingting of China.

However, their compatriots fell at the first hurdle.

The other mixed-doubles duo of Songphon Anukrittayawan and Kunchala Voravichitchaikul was routed by arch-rivals Anthony Clark and Gail Emms of England 21-11 21-8.

In the men's singles, world No 1 Lin Dan of China made short work of Thai No 1 Boonsak Ponsana 21-17 21-18 in just 34 minutes.

In the men's doubles, Sudket and Phattapol Ngernsrisuk fell 21-14 21-17 to sixth-seeded Indonesian pair of Luluk Hadiyanti and Alvent Yulianto Chandra.

Duang-anong Aroonkesorn and Kunchala had no answer to Du Jing and Yu Yang of China and lost 21-10 21-8 in the women's doubles, while Salakjit Ponsana went down 21-16 21-15 to Wong Pei Xian Julia of Malaysia in the singles.

The Nation