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China suffered their first badminton defeats of the Paris Olympics on Monday when mixed doubles favourites Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping were upset by a Malaysian pair and one of the country's men's doubles teams were trounced by Denmark.
China have long dominated Olympic badminton, winning 47 medals which is more than double the combined tally of Indonesia and South Korea the second- and third-most successful teams.
In 18 group stage matches in three days in Paris so far they have now been defeated twice, while in Tokyo China's players lasted four days before losing a match.
Feng and Huang lost 17-21, 21-15, 21-16 to Malaysia's Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei in the opening session of group play.
"I am happy we overcame them and gave them a good fight," Toh said. "They played a very good game and they really pushed us to the maximum."
Huang, the reigning Olympic mixed doubles champion who played in Tokyo with former partner Wang Yilyu, said she was not too upset because they were still at the group stage.
China's second mixed doubles team Zheng Si Wei and Huang Won Ho avenged their compatriots' defeat shortly after, making quick work of South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun 21-13, 21-14.
However, in the second session, men's doubles world number two pairing Anders Rasmussen and Kim Astrup beat World No 9 China's Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi 21-15, 21-13.
Japan's Watanabe Yuta and Higashino Arisa were given a standing ovation in the third session after a hard-fought win against Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong that ended 21-17, 14-21, 21-18. Shortly after, China's Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang played an intense match with Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Who Wooi Yik that ended 24-22, 21-14 to the Chinese.
The day should have started with India's men's doubles darlings Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, ranked third, playing Germany's Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel. However, that match was cancelled when Lamsfuss withdrew from the Games with a knee injury.
A match between Indonesia's Jonatan Christie, ranked third in men's singles, and surprise Tokyo semi-finalist Kevin Cordon of Guatemala was also cancelled because Cordon injured his arm.
Soren Opti of Suriname also pulled out of his match against Italy's Giovanni Toti after hurting his knee.
