RI out to keep perfect Thomas Cup record<\/p>\n
By Arif Suryobuwono<\/p>\n
HONG KONG (JP): Defending Thomas Cup champion Indonesia has
\nalready assured itself of a semifinal berth, but it is out to
\nmaintain a spotless record in today's last group match against
\nEngland.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's training director Iwan Setiawan said yesterday he
\nhad asked his players to sweep all five games left to play,
\nalthough he warned them that England's top singles player Darren
\nHall might prove tough to beat.<\/p>\n
A win will put Indonesia on top of Group A and earn it a
\nsemifinal matching with Group B runner-up. The Cup holder beat
\nChina 3-2 and Sweden 5-0 in the previous matches. Former champion
\nChina will play Sweden.<\/p>\n
The Group B will see tougher rivalry, with Malaysia, Denmark
\nand South Korea having the same chance to reach Friday's
\nsemifinals.<\/p>\n
Denmark will finish first in its group if it beats Malaysia
\ntoday. 1992 champion Malaysia, which lost to South Korea on
\nFriday, needs a perfect 5-0 win to secure a semifinal berth.
\nWinning just one game today will be worth a gold for unbeaten
\nDenmark, provided that South Korea thrashes Hong Kong with a
\nresounding 5-0.<\/p>\n
Iwan said he was satisfied with the way his team had performed
\nso far, despite the general consensus that world number one Joko
\nSuprianto is getting weaker. "We have the advantage of having
\nthree singles players and two doubles pairs of more or less equal
\nstrength," Iwan said.<\/p>\n
Denmark's team manager Morten Frost Hansen ominously compared
\nIndonesia's unbeaten record to a bubble ready to burst.
\n"Joko Suprianto is getting older. No one is afraid of him now,"
\nFrost said.<\/p>\n
Iwan said he expected a heavy semifinal match regardless of
\nwhich Danish player his team meets. "Denmark has strong singles
\nplayers who can cause problems for our players," he said.<\/p>\n
Danish top player Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen said on Sunday he
\nbelieved that a win today over Malaysian ace, Rashid Sidek, would
\nclinch his team's victory over Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Frost said both his team and Malaysia's stood an equal chance
\nof winning. "We want to beat Malaysia in order to make it to the
\ntop of our group, and to take on China," the former All-England
\nchampion said.<\/p>\n
Malaysia was setting its sights too high if it believed that
\nit could make it to the final, Frost scoffed. "Malaysia has not
\ndone anything to suggest that its three singles players can beat
\nus."<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Malaysia's team manager Dato Dr. Abdullah
\nFadzil Che Wan admitted that Denmark's three singles players were
\nvery strong. "But I believe we can offset that with our two
\ndoubles pairs and a singles player," Fadzil said.<\/p>\n
He declined to name the singles player on whose shoulder his
\nteam's fortunes would rest. "It would be a bonus if two of our
\nsingles players win."<\/p>\n
Fadzil said that even if Denmark were to field the world
\nnumber three team of Thomas Lund and Jon Holst Christensen,
\nMalaysia would not be daunted. "We are confident we can handle
\nthem," Fadzil said.<\/p>\n
Malaysian coach Razif Sidek added that if his team should
\nadvance to the final, it would prefer to take on China than
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
"China's doubles pairs are weaker than Indonesia's," said
\nRazif. The RI doubles team saved Indonesia's blushes when it
\nnarrowly beat China 3-2 in a match billed as a Thomas Cup final
\ndress rehearsal last Friday.<\/p>\n
Top Korean player Park Sung-woo echoed Fadzil's opinion,
\nsaying it would be more convenient for his team to take on China
\nin the semifinals.<\/p>\n
China's manager Li Yongbo admitted that his doubles teams,
\nespecially his second pair, were indeed weak. "But remember, our
\nfirst doubles team has beaten the world's best doubles pairs:
\nIndonesia, Malaysia and Denmark," Li said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, South Korean coach Soon Han-kuk said that a 5-0 win
\nover Hong Kong would make up for the 2-3 defeat to Denmark on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Today's fixtures:
\n Indonesia v England
\n China v Sweden
\n S. Korea v Hong Kong
\n Malaysia v Denmark<\/p>",
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