RI optimistic in men's singles title<\/p>\n
By Primastuti Handayani<\/p>\n
COPENHAGEN (JP): Indonesia is optimistic about winning the
\nmen's singles titles in the World Championships this week after
\nits failure in the Sudirman Cup semifinals on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"We have a great chance to win the men's singles title. I have
\ntold the shuttlers to get over the loss in the Sudirman Cup and
\nstart concentrating on the World Championships,\" said team
\nmanager Agus Wirahadikusumah on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"Either Hendrawan or Taufik Hidayat has a chance to win the
\ntitle. I hope Taufik's semifinals loss to Peter Gade Christensen
\nof Denmark will be his last. Hopefully, both players can meet in
\nthe World Championships final and Taufik can take revenge,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has four men's singles players; world number three
\nBudi Santoso, number eight Hendrawan, number 10 Taufik Hidayat
\nand unseeded Hariyanto Arbi.<\/p>\n
Hendrawan said he aimed to win the World Championships after
\nhis poor performances in several tournaments after the 1998 Asian
\nGames, in which he won the silver after losing to Chinese Dong
\nJiong.<\/p>\n
\"I want to become the World Champion this year because I might
\nnot get another chance,\" said the 26-year-old Indonesian.<\/p>\n
\"After the Asian Games, I slackened my training and it
\naffected my performance in the tournaments. I then realized I had
\nto work harder to reach my best,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hendrawan will meet South Korean Park Tae-sang in the first
\nround on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. (12:30 a.m. West Indonesia Time).
\nIf he wins, he will face the winner of a match between Thomas
\nWapp of Switzerland and a qualifier. In the third round,
\nHendrawan will likely face either Dong Jiong of China or Ardy B.
\nWiranata, an Indonesian who plays under the banner of the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
While Taufik said he was ready to compete in the World
\nChampionships, the 17-year-old Indonesian will most likely manage
\nto eliminate Polsana Boonsak of Thailand in the first round. In
\nthe second round, Taufik will meet the winner of a match between
\nBertrand Gallet of France and Richard Doling of England.<\/p>\n
But he will face a tough challenge with Sun Jun of China, who
\nwill most likely be able to overcome his opponents in the early
\nrounds.<\/p>\n
Budi Santoso, 23, will meet a qualifier in the first round. He
\nwill then meet the winner of a match between Sweden Thomas
\nJohansson and Chen Hong of China. If Budi manages to reach the
\nthird round, he will probably face Dane Kenneth Jonassen.<\/p>\n
Hariyanto only has a slight chance of reaching the third
\nround. He will meet a qualifier in the first match but after that
\nwill meet world number one Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark, who
\nwill most likely lose no sweat to defeat Ahn Jae-chang of South
\nKorea.<\/p>\n
Favorites<\/p>\n
Denmark head coach, Kenneth Larsen, said Hendrawan, Taufik,
\nGade Christensen, defending champion Peter Rasmussen of Denmark,
\nSun and teammate Dong Jiong were favorites in the World
\nChampionships.<\/p>\n
\"After his defeat from Sun Jun in Sudirman Cup final, Gade
\nChristensen has a bigger motivation in the World Championships.
\nIf Taufik can stop Sun, then one of the Danish singles will win
\nthe title,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Larsen said Hendrawan could meet 1996 Olympic gold medalist
\nPoul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n
\"Hendrawan is also a favorite, but Poul-Erik has been training
\nreally hard since Christmas and he's in good shape now. He's very
\nfast and good at the net. He can beat everyone but Sun,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In the women's singles, Indonesia had no chance to overcome
\nChina's domination. China has six seededs of world number one Ye
\nZhaoying, number two Gong Ruina, fourth seeded Dai Yun, number
\nfive Zhang Ning, number six Zhou Mi and seventh seeded Gong
\nZhichao. They will meet only one tough challenge from Dane
\nCamilla Martin, world number three.<\/p>\n
Larsen said: \"Camilla showed a good performance in the
\nSudirman Cup. She will only face a challenge from Chinese Ye,
\nZhang and Dai.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia's 10th seeded Cindana Hartono will have to struggle
\nagainst Thai Sujitra Eakmongkolpaisarn in the first round. If she
\nmanages to beat the Thai, she will face the winner of a match
\nbetween Judith Meulendiks of the Netherlands and Rabecca Pantaney
\nof England.<\/p>\n
Lidya Djaelawidjaja, seeded 11, will face Johanna Holgersson
\nof Sweden in the first round. If Lidya wins, she will then face
\nthe winner of a match between Nicole Grether of Germany and Santi
\nWibowo, an Indonesian who plays for Switzerland.<\/p>",
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