INQUIRER Sports

GUANGZHOU - Chinese star player Lin "Super" Dan made light work of his opponent on the first day of the Sudirman Cup mixed team championships - then dedicated the comprehensive victory to his mother.

Lin, the temperamental Olympic champion, eased to a 21-10, 21-18 win over England's Andrew Smith in the steamy southern city of Guangzhou on Sunday, barely needing to break sweat before finishing the job off in 30 minutes.

"Today is Mothers' Day, and I think my victory is a gift to my mum. I sent her a message earlier today and I felt happy," Lin, one of China's biggest sports figures, told state media afterwards.

"My opponent didn't perform well in the first set but he adjusted himself then and really made some troubles for me," said Lin, who was quoted by the local Xinhua news agency.

China, which beat England 5-0, continues their assault on the Sudirman Cup on Tuesday against Japan.

England chief coach Julian Robertson saw his team thrashed 5-0 by China on the first day of the Sudirman Cup world team championships, but refused to believe the home side is invincible.

The all-powerful Chinese dispatched England with ease on the opening day of the tournament, showing exactly why they are hot favorites to win the cup for a seventh time in the southern city of Guangzhou.

"Whoever plays them needs to be on their 'A' game," Robertson said, adding a win in the opening match, in the men's doubles, would have put England in a position to cause an upset.

As it was, the English duo of Robert Blair and Christopher Adcock lost 21-15, 21-14 in 34 minutes.

"We knew we had to get a win on the board in the first match to get the momentum going to make a match of it, but that's a big task," Robertson said.