File photo of Chen Long of China as he plays against Son Wan-ho (not pictured) of South Korea during the men's singles badminton final at the Denmark Open 2014 in Odense October 19, 2014. REUTERS/Claus Fisker/Scanpix Denmark
BIRMINGHAM, England, March 4 - World champion Chen Long avoided a potential first-round exit at the All-England Championships on Wednesday and blamed an uncomfortable pillow for a sluggish start to his campaign.
Chen, the world number one and top seed, woke up with a muscle spasm in his neck, putting the issue down to a soft hotel pillow.
