Rajiv Ouseph and Carl Baxter both made winning starts to the Korea Open in Seoul.

Ouseph, the English National champion from Middlesex who defends his title in Manchester from February 5-7, produced a fine win over Dutchman Eric Pang, coming from behind to win 20-22 21-9 21-16. It could have been over in two games but Ouseph failed to convert a game point at 20-19.

His reward is a second-round match with second seed and holder Peter Gade, the former European champion from Denmark.

Baxter, the 2009 Nationals runner-up from Avon, joined Ouseph in the second round with a 21-8 21-17 win over Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk and his next opponent is China’s fourth seed Bao Chunlai.

But Hampshire’s Andrew Smith was England’s odd man out in the singles as he fell to top seed Lee Chong Wei 21-4 21-14 in his opening match and must now wait till next week’s Proton Malaysia Open for his next BWF Super Series action.

In the men’s doubles there was disappointment for Robert Blair (Leics) and Chris Adcock (Notts). The England pair pulled back from 20-18 down to level at 20-20 before going on to lose 22-20 21-16 against Chai Biao and Zhang Nan of China.

And it was just as tough for Yorkshire pair Gabby White and Jenny Wallwork in the women’s doubles. They fell 21-14 15-21 21-11 against Korea’s Choi Hye In and Lee So Hee.

White suffered more disappointment in the mixed doubles where she and Adcock went down in three close games, losing to Japan’s Naoki Kawamae and Shizuka Matsuo 12-21 21-15 21-18.

That left Ouseph and Baxter as England’s only players to reach tomorrow’s second round.
For results see www.tournamentsoftware.com