London 2012 bronze medallist Chen Long defeated Malaysia’s Zulfadli Zulkiffli in the men's singles ©Getty Images

Top seeds and home favourites Chen Long and Li Xuerui today booked their places in the quarter-finals of the respective men’s and women’s singles competitions at the Badminton Asia Championships in Wuhan in China.

Olympic champion Li overcame Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-16, 18-21, 21-19 to set up a last-eight encounter against Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying, who came from behind to beat India’s Pusarla Venkata Sindhu 13-21, 22-20, 21-8.

London 2012 bronze medallist Chen defeated Malaysia’s Zulfadli Zulkiffli 21-12, 21-10 and now goes on to face Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto, a 21-17, 21-9 winner against Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana.

The biggest shock in the women’s singles saw number four seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand fall to a 21-17, 16-21, 17-21 defeat at the hands of Japan’s Sayaka Sato.

There were very few surprises though in the men’s singles as all the remaining seeded players advanced, including number two ranked Lin Dan.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist downed Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh, claiming a 21-13, 21-11 victory.

Olympic champion Li Xuerui overcame Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi
Olympic champion Li Xuerui overcame Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi ©Getty Images

The top seeds in the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles also progressed.

South Korea’s Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong, the favourites for the men’s doubles crown, beat Hong Kong’s Or Chin Chung and Tang Chun Man 21-8, 21-9.

Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi continued to justify their number one ranking in the women’s doubles with a 22-20, 21-18 win over China’s Jia Yifan and Chen Qingchen.

In the mixed doubles, China’s Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei showed why they are the pairing to beat courtesy of a 21-10, 21-12 triumph at the expense of Malaysia’s Kian Meng Tan and Pei Jing Lai. 

At the European Championships in La Roche sur Yon, France, there were wins for the top seeds in both the men's singles and women's singles as Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen and Spain's Carolina Marin advanced to the quarter-finals.

Jorgensen overcame The Netherlands' Nick Fransman 21-10, 21-12, while Marin defeated Belarus' Alesia Zaitsava 21-6, 21-12.

Russia's Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov, the number one men's doubles seeds, beat Germany's Raphael Beck and Peter Kaesbauer 21-16, 21-13.

Women's doubles top seeds Kamilla Rytter Juh and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark won 21-12, 21-12 against Estonia's Kristin Kuuba and Helina Rüütel, and mixed doubles top seeds Chris Adcock and Gabrielle Adcock of England recorded a 21-13, 17-21, 21-18 success over Sweden's Nico Ruponen and Amanda Hogstrom.