The best players in the world started the first round of matches in Fuzhou for TAHOE China Open 2017.
German women’s doubles, Isabel Herttrich and Carla Nelte, overcame an all European showdown in the first round against Denmark’s Sara Thygesen and Maiken Fruergaard; 19-21, 22-20, 21-18.
- The whole match was close, so after losing the first set we knew that we could win this. So, we just changed little things in our tactics, the rest was hard work, Herttrich explained.
Herttrich had no trouble keeping up the pace in mixed double with Mark Lamsfuss, as they beat Kim and Shin from Korea, 21-18 14-21 21-15.
'Escaped' Rytter Juhl and Pedersen
- We don’t want to go on court with only 80% and maybe make the injury worse. Kamilla will the next couple of days work with our physio and focus on getting ready for Hong Kong. We will cross our fingers, Rytter Juhl and Pedersen wrotes on their shared Instagram.
Originally, it would seem that Herrtrich and Nelte would face Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl from Denmark in the second round. But a withdrawal from the third seeded Danes has after all paved the way for Setyana Mapasa and Gronya Somerville from Australia.
- We never played them before, that means we'll do some video analysis today. We're really looking forward to our match tomorrow and we are ready for the next battle!, Herttrich says to Badminton Europe.
European results
Many European players have made it through for Day 2 in Fuzhou, here amongst them seeded Danish singles like Viktor Axelsen, Anders Antonsen and Line Kjærsfeldt. Carolina Marin of Spain and brice Leverdez are the only other Europeans keeping them company in the singles’ events.
Furthermore, Europe is represented by four men’s doubles in the second round; Mads Pieler Kolding/Mads Conrad-Petersen, Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen, Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Ivan Sozono/Vladimir Ivanov.
And the reigning European champions, Gabby and Chris Adcock, and Mathias Christiansen and Christinna Pedersen follow Herrtrich and Lamsfuss as the only European mixed pairs through.