Denmark dominate World badminton

Copenhagen, May 21: Defending champion Peter Rasmussen led a Danish quintet into the men's quarter-finals at the World Badminton Champion...

Copenhagen, May 21: Defending champion Peter Rasmussen led a Danish quintet into the men8217;s quarter-finals at the World Badminton Championships last night.

All five Danes in the last 16 advanced further to ensure their nation at least a bronze medal. The five were joined by Fung Permadi of Taiwan, Hendrawan of Indonesia and just one Chinese, second seed Sun Jun.

Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen showed the way by beating former Commonwealth champion Rashid Sidek of Malaysia 15-6, 15-8. He was followed by Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen8217;s 17-14, 15-5 win over Japan8217;s Kaita Masuda. Kenneth Jonassen worked hard for a one-hour 15-11 10-15, 15-5 triumph over Indonesian third seed Budi Santoso but Peter Gade Christensen had no trouble toppling Malaysia8217;s Yong Hock Kin 15-9, 15-3.

Denmark, as if determined to atone for the Sudirman Cup mixed team final defeat by China, have two players through to the last eight of the women8217;s singles. Third seed Camilla Martin was again the quickest winner with a 24-minutevictory over South Korean Kim Ji-Hyin 11-6, 11-1. The other Dane, Mette Sorensen, meets unseeded Kellymorgan of Wales. Sun seeking to eclipse SUN Jun, the only Chinese player left in the men8217;s singles as the World Badminton Championships enter the quarter-final stages, has revealed all the planning that has gone into his 1999 title challenge.

Second seed Sun, who lost a crippling two-hour marathon final with Denmark8217;s Peter Rasmussen in Glasgow two years ago, meets Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen late today, with a bronze medal the least that the winner will pick up.

But he wants to become the first Chinese player to win the title since Zhao Jianhua in 1991. Stuer-Lauridsen is one of five Danes in the last eight. Four of them made it to the last eight in 1997 and Kenneth Jonassen now joins Stuer-Lauridsen, defending champion Rasmussen, world number one and top seed Peter Gade, and Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen.