Hoyer-Larsen profits from stars' no-show<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The 1996 Olympic men's singles gold medalist,
\nPoul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark, said on Monday he was
\ndisappointed by the long list of absentees at the Indonesia
\nBadminton Open this week.<\/p>\n
But Hoyer-Larsen, at 33 the oldest competitor in the
\nUS$120,000 event, is putting a positive spin on the shortage of
\nstars, saying it will clear his way to the title.<\/p>\n
\"I am sorry that the Chinese and South Korean shuttlers will
\nbe missing. The tournament would have been more competitive had
\nthey come,\" the Dane said after practice at the Senayan Indoor
\nStadium, the venue for the Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 tournament.<\/p>\n
\"But their absence means my path to the top will be much
\neasier,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Hoyer-Larsen is seeded second behind rising Indonesian star
\nand world number three Hendrawan. Both receive byes into the
\nsecond round.<\/p>\n
Hendrawan, seeking his first title at home, has not won
\nanything since a giant-killing display that earned him the
\nSingapore Open title in August.<\/p>\n
Hoyer-Larsen speculated that the Chinese and South Korean
\nplayers were skipping the Indonesian round of the badminton grand
\nprix series to allow them to focus on the trip in Hong Kong two
\nweeks after the tournament here.<\/p>\n
\"Security concerns might be the other reason for their
\nabsence,\" Hoyer-Larsen said.<\/p>\n
\"I decided to come here because I heard that the Army chief of
\nstaff had guaranteed that the country was safe. International TV
\nnews also convinced me it was safe to compete here,\" he added.<\/p>\n
In the women's singles, top seed Mia Audina, who also receives
\na first-round bye, should only have to stretch her muscles in the
\nfinal against either Denmark's Mette Sorensen or last year's
\nfinalist Ellen Angelina.<\/p>\n
An all-Indonesian final is expected to materialize in the
\nmen's doubles, with top seeds and 1996 Olympic champions Ricky
\nSubagja and Rexy Mainaky tipped to meet Antonius Arianto and
\nDenny Kantono. Only the Danish duo of Jens Eriksen and Jesper
\nLarsen looks capable of upsetting the host's party.<\/p>\n
World champion Candra Wijaya will team up with Tony Gunawan,
\ninstead of regular partner Sigit Budiarto who is currently facing
\ndoping charges. (yan)<\/p>",
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