Indonesia secures men's doubles title in Open<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is ensured the men's doubles title at
\nthe US$120,000 Malaysian Open badminton championships where 2001
\nWorld Champion Tony Gunawan and Halim Heryanto will play Candra
\nWijaya and Sigit Budiarto in the all-Indonesian final on Sunday.<\/p>\n
In Saturday's semifinals at Malawati Stadium in Shah Alam,
\nnear Kuala Lumpur, top seeds pair of Tony and Halim beat
\nThailand's strongest pair of Pramote Teerawiwatana and Tesana
\nPanvisvas, fourth seed, 7-2, 3-7, 7-1, 7-1.<\/p>\n
Seventh seeds Candra and Sigit outshone the host's remaining
\nhope and third seeds Chew Choon Eng and Chan Chong Ming 7-1, 7-1,
\n7-2.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian Open men's doubles title is the fourth
\nconsecutive title for Indonesian men's doubles this year. Tony
\nand Halim had earlier won the All England and the World
\nChampionships titles, while Candra and Sigit grabbed the Japan
\nOpen title.<\/p>\n
In the men's singles event, top seed Chen Hong of China was
\nthe next casualty of \"giant killer\" Rony Agustinus of Indonesia.
\nUnseeded Rony crushed Chen 7-3, 5-7, 7-4, 7-2 in another
\nsemifinals on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"I was carried away when Chen used different tactics in the
\nsecond game. But my coach instructed me to return to my own
\nstyle, and I won the match,\" Rony told The Jakarta Post over the
\nphone.<\/p>\n
Rony will challenge host player and eighth seed Ong Ewe Hock
\nwho outclassed seventh seed Xia Xuanze of China. Ong was engaged
\nin a tight game before earning his final ticket with a 3-7, 7-0,
\n5-7, 7-5, 7-3 victory over Xia.<\/p>\n
\"I won't find it difficult to play Ong although he has good
\nfootwork and a solid defense. I will just play my own style while
\nstudying his style. But local spectators really support Ong,\"
\nsaid Rony.<\/p>\n
\"This is my chance to win a Grand Prix title and I will do my
\nbest to get it,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Indonesian mixed doubles pair Bambang Suprianto and Emma
\nErmawati also went into the final after a 7-4, 7-1, 4-7, 7-3
\nvictory over Danish pair of fourth seeds Michael Lamp and Ann Lou
\nJorgensen.<\/p>\n
Top seed pair of Bambang and Emma will face Chinese pair and
\neighth seeds Liu Yong and Zhang Jiewen, who defeated Nathan
\nRobertson and Gail Emms of England. The results, however, was not
\navailable.<\/p>\n
China dominated the women's events after confidently managing
\ntwo all-Chinese final matches in the singles and doubles.<\/p>\n
Top seed Zhou Mi barely broke a sweat to defeat her compatriot
\nYu Jin 7-2, 8-6, 7-2 and set a final clash with compatriot and
\nsecond seed Gong Ruina. Gong defeated third seed Wang Chen of
\nHong Kong 7-5, 7-1, 6-8, 7-4.<\/p>\n
In the women's doubles, top seeds Gao Ling and Huang Sui
\ndefeated compatriots and third seeds Zhang Jiewen and Wei Yili 8-
\n7, 5-7, 7-5, 7-2. Gao and Huang will meet team mates of second
\nseeds Huang Nanyang and Yang Wei who defeated Danish pair of
\nfourth seeds Majken Vange and Penille Harder 7-5, 7-0, 7-5.<\/p>\n
In the latest, the Badminton Association of China decided to
\npull out its shuttlers from the $170,000 Indonesian Open for
\nsecurity reasons after the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\ncalled for a special session to ask for President Abdurrahman
\nWahid to deliver his accountability report.<\/p>\n
\"BA of China decided to withdraw its shuttlers because the
\nChinese authorities have banned its people from traveling to
\nIndonesia,\" PBSI's secretary-general Leo Chandra Wiranata told
\nthe Post.<\/p>\n
\"We have to accept the decision because there is no other
\noptions for them. Let's hope this is the last withdrawal.\"<\/p>\n
Leo said he had asked the International Badminton Federation
\n(IBF) to decide a new drawing following the withdrawal.<\/p>\n
\"China sends its strongest team and most of the players are
\nthe top seeds. It will be unfair if we are still using the old
\ndrawing. I expect IBF will send it to us on Sunday afternoon at
\nthe latest.\"<\/p>\n
Senior event manager of the International Management Group
\n(IMG) Maya Hidayat told the Post that organizers would continue
\nwith the Indonesian Open as planned.<\/p>\n
\"We have obtained the permit from the city police this morning
\nallowing us to continue with the event. They must have studied
\nthe security situation before issuing the permit,\" she said over
\nthe phone.<\/p>\n
\"We have also received the commitment from participating
\ncountries that they will come if we keep the event as scheduled
\nShuttlers from Singapore and Germany arrived on Saturday, while
\nthe others are still in Malaysia for the Malaysian Open,\" she
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Organizers expect more shuttlers to arrive on Sunday and
\nMonday. (nvn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-secures-mens-doubles-title-in-open-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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