(Changzhou, September 15) The 2009 LI LING China Masters Super Series opens today in Xincheng Gymnasium of Changzhou's Olympic Sports Center, with 188 players from 22 countries and regions, both record numbers, participating. Host China has fielded all its top-ranking players from national teams A and B headed by Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang.

The men's and women's singles qualifying rounds held on the opening day saw 19 players, one from Japan, one from Singapore and 17 from China, vying with one another for eight berths, four for men's and four for women's.

With a prize of 250,000 US dollars the six-day 2009 China Masters is one of the 12 BWF super series events for the year and also the only one masters tournament so named by the BWF. This was the second time the tournament was held in Changzhou.