2014 Badminton China Open kicked off

2014 Badminton China Open, as part of the BWF World Super-series Premier, kicked off on Tuesday in Fuzhou, capital city of China’s Fujian Province.

A total of 224 players from 23 countries and regions attend the event.

World champion Chen Long heads the seedings in Men’s Singles in Badminton China Open held from 11 to 16 in Fuzhou, China. Fans expect to witness a possible title clash between him and former Olympic champion Lin Dan.

Lin, who skipped the French Open due to an injury he sustained in Denmark, will start against Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Jen Hao. Lin might once again run into Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen in the second round. Jan has emerged victorious during their last three meetings and might sniff an opportunity to defeat the home favourite.

Apart from the regular faces like Japan’s Kenichi Tago, Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto, South Korea’s Son Wan Ho, Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen has shot up the rankings thanks to recent wins in World Super-series title and a Grand Prix Gold at the Bitburger Open.

India’s HS Prannoy was runner-up at the Vietnam Open in early September, won the Indonesian Masters the next week, and then made the semi-finals of the Bitburger Open. He begins with a difficult apponent against Viktor Axelsen in Fuzhou event.

Chinese female players, Li Xuerui, Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan are respectively No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 seeded players in the women’s game.

The Fuzhou open starts its qualifying rounds on Tuesday, the first round on Wednesday and the second on Thursday. The quarterfinals and semi finals will be held respectively on Friday and Saturday. The finals will be on Sunday.

The Fuzhou event will offer the prize money of 700,000 U.S. dollars. The race will determine if the players are qualified for the year-ending BWF Destination Dubai World Super-series.

Fuzhou, the host city of the first Badminton China Open in 1986, now embraces its return after 28 years and will continue to hold this event in the coming three years.