Top prospects Di & Wang impress as Ellis challenges for consecutive titles fall

Marcus Ellis entered the SaarLorLux Open looking to defend two titles, but both runs at retention ended in the quarter-finals.

Top seeded in both events, Ellis and men’s doubles partner Chris Langridge were beaten in three games by Chinese upstarts Di Zi Jian & Wang Chang, while his mixed doubles campaign with Lauren Smith also ended in defeat.

Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalists Ellis & Langridge fell 21-19 14-21 21-15 to fifth seeded Di & Wang.

The Chinese might be ranked 61st in the world, but already look exciting prospects, entering on the back of silver medals at the World Junior Championships last month, and having then pushed world No1s Marcus Fernaldi Gideon & Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo to three games at the French Open a week ago.

They already boast experience on the senior tour this year having reached the semi-finals at another BWF Tour Super 100 event in the Lingshui Chinese Masters in March.

Di & Wang edged a close-run first game, with the second similarly tight until a fine run of points saw Ellis & Langridge finish strongly to level up.

But the Chinese 18-year-olds put together their own streak around the interval in game three, an advantage they would not relent to move on.

Earlier in the day, Ellis & Smith also came up short against Danes Niclas Nohr & Sara Thygesen, who progressed to the last-four with two 21-15 frames.

However, Smith put that defeat behind her to reach the semi-finals in the women’s doubles as she & Chloe Birch, seeded second, took out Russian’s Anastasiia Akchurina & Olga Morozova 21-17 21-16. They now face home players Linda Efler & Isabel Herttrich in the semi-finals.

Thygesen, alongside Maiken Fruergaard, was also responsible for knocking out Jenny Moore & Victoria Williams, although the English pair took it to three games before falling 16-21 21-17 21-15.

Toby Penty eased into a men’s singles semi-final against world No102 Weng Hong Yang with a 21-9 21-15 victory over Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen.

Nguyen’s compatriots Sam & Chloe Magee lost in straight games to Ren Xiang Yu & Zhou Chao Min in the mixed doubles.

A Saturday meeting with Mathias Bay-Smidt & Lasse Molhede await men’s doubles pair Ben Lane & Sean Vendy, who recovered from a game down to beat French duo Samy Corvee & William Villeger 19-21 21-15 21-15, while Scots Alexander Dunn & Adam Hall lost in three to Jones Ralfy Jansen & Peter Kaesbauer, including a thrilling 28-26 loss in the first game.