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EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS: TOP SEEDS GO THRU ON DAY 1 OF INDIVIDUAL PLAY

April 21, 1998 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - The top seeds in singles play at the European badminton championships in Sofia, Bulgaria got past the very busy first day of individual competition today, going thru two rounds of play with varying degrees of difficulty.

Men's singles top seed Peter Gade of Denmark had a troubled passage in his opening match as Ukraine's Vladislav Druzchenko made the world number two sweat his way past the first round. The experienced Druzchenko capitalized on some below-par play from Gade in the first game to seize a four-point lead. The Dane then buckled down to the task at hand and reeled the Ukrainian in to win at 15-12.

In the second, Druzchenko played the young Dane tough and kept the game close. Gade though did reach match point but the Ukrainian foiledthe Dane and then managed to pull even at 14-all. In the three-point setting, Gade's youth served him well and he took the tiebreak and the match from a tired Druzchenko 3-1 (17-15).

Gade's second round match was a breeze compared to his opener. He defeated Logosz of Poland 15-6 and 15-7.

Men's singles second seed Poul-Erik Hoyer had an easy opener, beating Isakov of Russia 15-4 and 15-6. Hoyer's second round match against Robert Nock of England was a bit harder, but the Olympic champion prevailed 15-11 and 15-8.

World champion Peter Rasmussen, another Dane, waltzed past his two opponents today. He trounced Carpenco of Moldavia 15-1 and 15-1 in the opener and then beat Craig Robertson of Scotland 15-6 and 15-3 in his second round match.

Rasmussen is seeded third.

The women's singles top seeds, Camilla Martin and Mette Pedersen, both from Denmark, had very easy first and second round victories.

Following are some of the results of the first day in the individual competition:

Men's Singles
First Round
Peter Gade (Denmark) beat Vladislav Druzchenko (Ukraine) 15-12, 17-15
Michael Logosz (Poland) beat Donal O'Halloran (Ireland) 15-9, 15-6
Thomas Wapp (Switzerland) beat Jan Vondra (Czechia) 8-15, 15-5, 15-8
Viktor Malutin (Russia) beat Andrej Pohar (Slovenia) 15-12, 17-15
Chris Davies (Wales) beat Darren Hall (England) walkover
Daniel Eriksson (Sweden) beat Gerben Bruijstens (Netherlands) 15-13, 15-2
Pontus Jantti (Finland) beat Bruce Flockhart (Scotland) walkover
Kostadin Dobrev (Bulgaria) beat Florin Posteuca (Romania) 15-9, 15-11
Peter Rasmussen (Denmark) beat Maxim Carpenco (Moldavia) 15-1, 15-1
Craig Robertson (Scotland) beat Dmitri Miknikov (Ukraine) 9-15, 15-13, 15-11
Dicky Palyama (Netherlands) beat Georgi Izotov (Russia) 15-5, 15-6
Fernando Silva (Portugal) beat Pavel Kaczynski (Poland) 15-3, 15-2
Henrik Bengtsson (Sweden) beat Marek Bujak (Germany) 15-2, 0-15, 15-5
Mark Constable (England) beat Nabil Lasmari (France) 15-7, 15-2
Boris Kessov (Bulgaria) beat Mert Aydogmus (Turkey) 15-4, 15-3
John Leung (Wales) beat Evantros Votsis (Cyprus) 15-4, 15-1
Ilkka Nyqvist (Finland) beat Arsen Khachaturyan (Armenia) 15-4, 15-2
Colin Haughton (England) beat Bertrand Gallet (France) 18-17, 15-5
Jurgen Koch (Austria) beat Jim Mailer (Scotland) 15-2, 15-11
Kenneth Jonassen (Denmark) beat Edward Loze (Latvia) 15-3, 15-2
Vadim Itskov (Russia) beat Michail Mizin (Ukraine) 15-6, 15-8
Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Vyatcheslav Roudnitski (Belarus) 15-17, 15-8, 15-2
Michail Popov (Bulgaria) beat Attila Kovacs (Hungary) 15-7, 15-6
Jeroen van Dijk (Netherlands) beat Morten Bundgaard (Switzerland) 16-17, 15-7, 15-8
Geraint Lewis (Wales) beat Jaiki Sotge (Estonia) 15-7, 15-7
Oliver Pongratz (Germany) beat Hans Sperre (Norway) 15-3, 15-9
Antti Viitikko (Finland) beat Sergei Leonovich (Lithuania) 15-4, 15-1
Rikard Magnusson (Sweden) beat Ricardo Fernandes (Portugal) 15-10, 15-7
Ruud Kuyten (Belarus) beat Arturo Ruiz (Spain) 15-9, 15-12
Jacek Niedzwiedzki (Poland) beat Konstantin Tatranov (Ukraine) 15-10, 11-15, 15-7
Robert Nock (England) beat Leslie Dewar (Ireland) 15-11, 15-10
Poul-Erik Hoyer (Denmark) beat Evgeni Isakov (Russia) 15-4, 15-6

Second Round
Peter Gade (Denmark) beat Michael Logosz (Poland) 15-6, 15-7
Thomas Wapp (Switzerland) beat Viktor Malutin (Russia) 15-17, 17-15, 18-17
Daniel Eriksson (Sweden) beat Chris Davies (Wales) 15-6, 15-2
Pontus Jantti (Finland) beat Kostadin Dobrev (Bulgaria) 15-1, 15-10
Peter Rasmussen (Denmark) beat Craig Robertson (Scotland) 15-6, 15-3
Dicky Palyama (Netherlands) beat Fernando Silva (Portugal) 15-6, 15-10
Mark Constable (England) beat Henrik Bengtsson (Sweden) 15-2, 15-11
Boris Kessov (Bulgaria) beat John Leung (Wales) 15-13, 13-15, 15-8
Colin Haughton (England) beat Ilkka Nyqvist (Finland) 10-15, 15-10, 18-13
Kenneth Jonassen (Denmark) beat Jurgen Koch (Austria) 15-6, 15-8
Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Vadim Itskov (Russia) 15-8, 15-8
Jeroen van Dijk (Netherlands) beat Michail Popov (Bulgaria) 15-7, 15-4
Oliver Pongratz (Germany) beat Geraint Lewis (Wales) 15-5, 15-2
Rikard Magnusson (Sweden) beat Antti Viitikko (Finland) 15-4, 15-8
Ruud Kuyten (Netherlands) beat Jacek Niedzwiedzki (Poland) 7-15, 15-12, 18-13
Poul-Erik Hoyer (Denmark) beat Robert Nock (England) 15-11, 15-8

Women's Singles
First Round
Camilla Martin (Denmark) beat Filipa Lamy (Portugal) 11-1, 11-3
Marketa Koudelkova (Czechia) beat Fiona Sneddon (Scotland) 11-6, 11-9
Elena Sukhareva (Russia) beat Elena Nozdran (Ukraine) 11-1, 11-3
Lonneke Janssen (Netherlands) beat Vlada Cherniavskaya (Belarus) 11-8, 11-5
Margit Borg (Sweden) beat Ruzanna Hakobyan (Armenia) 11-2, 11-0
Sonya McGinn (Ireland) beat Mateja Slatnar (Slovenia) 11-2, 11-5
Tracy Hallam (England) beat Katja Michalowsky (Germany) 10-12, 11-8, 11-9
Kairi Saks (Estonia) beat Katie Howell (Wales) 11-4, 11-6
Maria Kizil (Belarus) beat Gianna Khomenko (Ukraine) 11-6, 11-8
Katarzyna Krasowska (Poland) beat Maja Pohar (Slovenia) 11-2, 11-4
Johanna Holgersson (Sweden) beat Helena Berimbau (Portugal) 11-6, 11-1
Anne Sondergaard (Denmark) beat Stefanie Muller (Germany) 11-2, 11-8
Victoria Hristova (Bulgaria) beat Gillian Martin (Scotland) 11-8, 11-1
Ella Karachkova (Russia) beat Santi Wibowo (Switzerland) walkover
Claire Henderson (Ireland) beat Marina Burujan (Moldavia) 11-3, 11-2
Kelly Morgan (Wales) beat Tracy Dineen (England) 11-6, 11-6
Judith Meulendijks (Netherlands) beat Daniela Timofte (Romania) 11-0, 11-0
Neli Nedjalkova (Bulgaria) beat Elif Aktas (Turkey) 11-0, 11-0
Rebecca Pantaney (England) beat Natalia Golovkina (Ukraine) 11-8, 11-1
Anu Weckstrom (Finland) beat Gail Osbourne (Wales) 11-4, 11-0
Mette Sorensen (Denmark) beat Heidi Dossing (Germany) 11-8, 12-10
Sandra Dimbour (France) beat Johanna Szleszynska (Poland) 11-7, 9-12, 11-7
Anne Gibson (Scotland) beat Dolores Marco (Spain) 11-2, 11-3
Sissel Linderoth (Norway) beat Judith Baumeyer (Switzerland) 11-2, 11-4
Tatiana Vattier (France) beat Kristine Sefere (Latvia) 11-3, 11-1
Julia Mann (England) beat Nicole Grether (Germany) 11-0, 11-8
Diana Knekna (Cyprus) beat Neringa Karosaite (Lithuania) 3-11, 11-2, 11-3
Brenda Beenhakker (Netherlands) beat Natalia Esipenko (Ukraine) 11-8, 11-5
Irina Yakusheva (Russia) beat Sandra Watt (Scotland) 11-3, 11-0
Karolina Ericsson (Sweden) beat Melinda Keszthelyi (Hungary) 11-0, 11-1
Dorotna Grzejdak (Poland) beat Dobrinka Smilianova (Bulgaria) 11-1, 11-3
Mette Pedersen (Denmark) beat Tina Riedl (Austria) 11-3, 11-1

Second Round
Camilla Martin (Denmark) beat Marketa Koudelkova (Czechia) 11-2, 11-0
Elena Sukhareva (Russia) beat Lonneke Janssen (Netherlands) 11-2, 11-1
Margit Borg (Sweden) beat Sonya McGinn (Ireland) 11-2, 11-1
Tracy Hallam (England) beat Kairi Saks (Estonia) 11-2, 11-1
Katarzyna Krasowska (Poland) beat Maria Kizil (Belarus) score not provided
Anne Sondergaard (Denmark) beat Johanna Holgersson (Sweden) 11-1, 11-6
Ella Karachkova (Russia) beat Victoria Hristova (Bulgaria) 11-6, 11-4
Kelly Morgan (Wales) beat Claire Henderson (Ireland) 11-1, 11-0
Judith Meulendijks (Netherlands) beat Neli Nedjalkova (Bulgaria) 11-3, 11-3
Anu Weckstrom (Finland) beat Rebecca Pantaney (England) 11-6, 11-4
Mette Sorensen (Denmark) beat Sandra Dimbour (France) 11-2, 11-1
Anne Gibson (Scotland) beat Sissel Linderoth (Norway) 11-7, 11-5
Julia Mann (England) beat Tatiana Vattier (France) 11-3, 11-6
Brenda Beenhakker (Netherlands) beat Diana Knekna (Cyprus) 11-0, 11-1
Karolina Ericsson (Sweden) beat Irina Yakusheva (Russia) 7-11, 11-3, 11-0
Mette Pedersen (Denmark) beat Dorotna Grzejdak (Poland) 11-0, 11-3

(aplayer/dsimmons)