BWF China Masters 2024: Jonatan Christie ousts Loh Kean Yew in first round, An Se-young also wins epic
Indonesian sixth seed Christie beats Singaporean in epic men's singles opener in Shenzen, as world number one female also goes the distance in round one.
Badminton
The first day of action at the China Masters 2024 badminton tournament saw a clash of the titans in the men's singles, with Jonatan Christie victorious.
The sixth seed, from Indonesia, beat Singapore's Loh Kean Yew (pictured), the former world champion.
Reigning All England champion Christie won 21-17, 19-21, 21-11 on Tuesday (19 November) in Shenzen, People's Republic of China.
He'll next face home hope Lu Guang Zu in round two.
Men's world number one Shi Yu Qi is due to play later on Tuesday. Double Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen starts his campaign on Wednesday.
In the women's singles, top seed An Se-young overcame Ratchanok Intanon in a tightly contested opener, 24-22, 21-18, 21-19.
The event is a Super 750 competition on the World Tour, with several players desperate to earn ranking points that would see them qualify for the BWF Finals 2024.