Li Xuerui becomes top-ranked casualty in Jakarta

World number one Carolina Marin's defence of her world crown received a boost Thursday, with key rival Li Xuerui of China crashing out of the world championships in Jakarta.

Li, an Olympic champion and silver medallist at last year's world championships, became the highest-ranked casualty of the tournament so  far when she fell in a marathon contest to 11th-seed P.V. Sindhu 21-17, 14-21, 21-17.

The crestfallen third seed said she wouldn't dwell on her shock exit and pledged to support her Chinese compatriots still in contention for medals.

"I prepared to the maximum, so I'm not going to stay down for long," she said via a translator.

The Chinese shuttler was upstaged at last year's world championships by Marin, and badminton fans had been hoping for a grudge match between the two rivals before Li's sudden departure.

But in a day of mixed fortunes the Spaniard rolled her ankle during her third-round win over Taiwan's Pai Yu Po.

The injury-prone Spaniard fell to the ground in pain after an awkward stumble in the first set, with several tense minutes passing before she gingerly returned to the court.

Marin went on to defeat the unseeded Pai 21-11, 18-21, 21-17 but it was an unsettling experience for the top seed, who nearly missed the world championships entirely due to a separate injury.

"I just tried to not think about my ankle, because I was so scared, because maybe I could not play," she told reporters after the match.

"I have a physiotherapist here, so he is going to treat me now."

It was a case of history repeating itself for the defending champion, who sustained an injury to the same ankle in last year's world championships in Copenhagen, which she went on to win.

In the men's competition, world number one Chen Long coasted into the quarter finals, thrashing Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk 21-12, 21-7.

That may be bad news for fourth seed Kento Momota, who could see his dreams of a maiden world crown crushed if he faces the defending Chinese champion as expected in the semi finals.

Denmark's mixed doubles pair Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen suffered a dramatic loss to Indonesia's Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto, with the fifth seeds falling 22-20, 19-21, 23-21 to their lesser ranked opponents.

Second seed Jan O. Jorgensen, five-time world champion Lin Dan and Malaysian superstar Lee Chong Wei are among the top names fighting for a quarter final slot later Thursday.
Source: AFP