Both Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari, and Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan were forced to withdraw from the tournament after Maheswari was hit with cramp in the third game of their women's doubles Group B match against Japan's Miyuki Maeda and Reika Kakiiwa, and Ahsan had a recurrence of a back injury which forced the defending men's doubles champions to retire against China's Chai Biao and Hong Wei.

"We had our chances," Polii said.

"Nitya had some trouble late in the second game and I asked her if she wanted to continue.

"She didn't want to give up.

"By the third game it was hurting her and we had no choice but to concede the match."

China's men's singles world champion Chen Long secured a 21-11, 21-14 win over Japan's Kenichi Tago, while Indian women's singles Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal overcame Chen's compatriot Wang Shixian 21-17, 21-18 in a 58-minute match.

Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong defeated Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Choel 21-14, 21-11 in 35 minutes ©BWF


Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan defeated Thai women's singles World Championships gold medal winner Ratchanok Intanon 21-13, 18-21, 21-10.

There was further disappointment for Thailand as Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam lost 21-5, 24-22 in their mixed doubles opener to Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark.

Earlier in the day at the Hamdan Sports Complex, Denmark's Hans-Kristian Vittinghus overcame South Korean Son Wan Ho 21-13, 21-16 in 42 minutes.

"I'm extremely pleased with my performance," Vittinghus said.

"Going into the match I knew I had to play my very best badminton, as I have a 0-4 record against him, so I didn't stand a good chance if you saw the statistics.

"So I brought my best game and I don't think I've played better than this.

"The conditions are perfect for me; it's slow.

"There will be a lot of rallies and I don't make a lot of mistakes because it's a lot easier to control.

"I couldn't be happier with my start."

There was more success for Denmark thanks to men's singles European champion Jan Ø Jørgensen, who defeated last year's runner-up Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia 21-15, 21-19.

Elsewhere, South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun overcame her compatriot Bae Yeon Ju 21-15, 21-11 in the women's singles, China's Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei defeated their team mates Luo Ying and Luo Yu 21-17, 18-21, 21-11 in the women's doubles and Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong beat their fellow South Koreans and men's doubles world champions Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Choel 21-14, 21-11 in 35 minutes.

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