South Korea and Malaysia
\nmove to Thomas Cup semis<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Malaysia, behind the doubles pair of Tan Kim Her
\nand Yap Kim Hock, beat Denmark 4-1 last night to douse the Danes'
\ndream of securing a semifinal slot in the Thomas Cup badminton
\nchampionships at Senayan indoor stadium.<\/p>\n
The victory put Malaysia atop Group B, with South Korea
\nsecuring second place after downing Thailand 4-1.<\/p>\n
Defending champion Malaysia will lock horns against four-time
\nCup winner China, which finished second behind Indonesia in Group
\nA, in Wednesday's semifinals. South Korea faces an uphill climb
\nagainst seemingly invincible Indonesia which topped Group A with
\nan impeccable record.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's ace shuttler Rashid Sidek gave the Cup holder a 1-0
\nlead when his Danish counterpart Thomas-Stuer Lauridsen resigned
\nin the first set after pulling a muscle in his back.<\/p>\n
Rashid was leading 6-3 when the Dane suddenly approached the
\numpire indicating that he could not play on.<\/p>\n
Denmark drew the score level at 1-1 when the pair of John-
\nHolst-Christensen and Michael Sogaard got the better of Soo Beng
\nKiang and Cheah Soon Kit, 18-14, 15-2.<\/p>\n
After a see-saw battle in the first set that saw fortunes
\nfluctuate, Christensen and Sogaard formed a well-knit partnership
\nin the second as they completely took control of the action,
\noutstroking and outwitting the Malaysian duo.<\/p>\n
Soo and Cheah didn't help their cause by making a slew of
\nunforced errors, repeatedly hitting long over the line and
\ndriving the shuttle into the net.<\/p>\n
But Malaysia regained the lead when upstart Ong Ewe Hock,
\nmaking his Thomas Cup debut, pulled off a stunning 10-15, 15-0,
\n15-6 upset victory over Danish number two Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.<\/p>\n
The presence of Madame Siti Hasmah Mohammad Ali, the wife of
\nPrime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, apparently boosted the
\nconfidence and fighting spirit of the Malaysian players who were
\nconstantly booed and jeered by the crowd.<\/p>\n
Tan and Yap once again became the toasts of Malaysia when they
\nstruck up a winning partnership by downing Thomas Lund and Jim
\nLaugesen, 15-5, 15-17, 15-6 to give Malaysia an insurmountable 3-
\n1 lead.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian second doubles pair were also instrumental in
\nthe team's hard-earned 3-2 win over a game South Korean side
\non Thursday. Tan and Yap snatched the clinching point for
\nMalaysia when they upset South Korea's Yoo Yong-soon and Kim
\nDong-moon 15-8, 15-2.<\/p>\n
\"It was an upset loss. I thought both Thomas and Poul-Erik
\ncould have won their matches. It was quite unfortunate for us,\"
\nsaid dejected Danish team manager Carsten Laugesen.<\/p>\n
Denmark also failed to make it through to the final four in
\nthe 1992 Thomas Cup finals, falling 0-5 to host Malaysia which
\neventually won the Cup by edging Indonesia 3-2.<\/p>\n
Uber Cup<\/p>\n
In the women's Uber Cup, Indonesia will meet South Korea in
\nthe semifinals tomorrow, the second successive semifinal clash
\nbetween the two sides. Indonesia bowed out 1-4 to South Korea in
\n1992.<\/p>\n
The other Uber Cup semifinal pits five-time champion China
\nagainst Sweden which finished second behind Indonesia in Group B
\nafter squeezing past Thailand 3-2 last night.<\/p>\n
Susi Susanti and teammates topped Group B, having won all
\nthree round-robin matches. Last night Indonesia, which chose not
\nto use world champion Susi in the singles, labored to beat
\nDenmark 3-2.<\/p>\n
Indonesia fielded Yuni Kartika at first singles in place of
\nSusi who teamed up with veteran Rosiana Tendean in the doubles.<\/p>\n
Yuni lost to Danish number one Camillia Martin, 1-11, 11-9, 6-
\n11.<\/p>\n
The makeshift Indonesian combination of Finarsih and Eliza
\nleveled the score by beating Lotte Olsen and Lisbeth Stuer
\nLaudrisen 15-10, 14-18, 15-9. Indonesia took a 2-1 lead when
\nYuliani Sentosa made short work of Pernille Nedergaard 11-4, 11-
\n2.<\/p>\n
The score was evened again at 2-2 when Susi and Rosiana fell
\n8-15, 9-15 to Pinne Mette Bilie and Marlene Thomsen.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's 15-year-old sensation Mia Audina, making her Uber
\nCup debut, delighted the home crowd when she disposed of Lotte
\nThomsen 11-0, 11-4 to clinch the win. (bas\/amd)<\/p>\n
Thomas Cup<\/p>\n
Malaysia bt Denmark 4-1 (Malaysia first):<\/p>\n
Rashid Sidek bt Thomas Stuer Lauridsen 3-5 (Lauridsen resigned);
\nCheah Soon Kit\/Soo Beng Kiang lost to Jon Holst Christensen\/
\nMichael Sogaard 14-18, 2-15; Ong Ewe Hock bt Poul Erik Hoyer
\nLarsen 10-15, 15-0, 15-9; Tan Kim Her\/Yap Kim Hock bt Thomas
\nLund\/Jim Laugesen 15-5, 15-17, 15-6; Foo Kok Keong bt Soren B.
\nFoo Kok Keong bt Soren B. Nielsen 15-1, 11-15, 15-7<\/p>\n
S.Korea bt Thailand 4-1 (Korea first):<\/p>\n
Kim Hak-kyun bt Sompol Kukasemkij 15-9, 15-3; Park Sung-woo bt
\nKittipon Kitikul 15-7, 15-8; Lee Kwang-jin\/Lee Suk-ho lost to
\nPramote Teerawiwatana\/Sakrapee Thongsari 15-9, 6-15, 0-15; Yoo
\nYong-sung\/Kim Dong-moon bt Siripong Siripool\/Khunakorn Sudhisadhi
\n15-6, 15-18, 15-8; Ahn Jae Chang bt Teeranun Chiangta 15-10, 15-7<\/p>\n
Uber Cup<\/p>\n
Sweden bt Thailand 3-2 (Sweden first)<\/p>\n
Somharuethai Jaroensiri bt Lim Xiao Qing 11-5, 5-11, 11-5;
\nPornsawan Plungwech bt Catherine Bengtsson 12-11, 11-7;
\nSujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn lost to Christine Magnusson 10-12, 12-
\n10, 7-11; Somharuetai Jaroensiri\/Piyatip Sansaniyakulvilai lost
\nto Maria Bengtsson\/Catrine Bengtsson 18-15, 6-15, 11-15; Lim Xiao
\nQing\/Christine Magnusson bt Pornsawan Plungwech\/Plernta Boonyarit
\n15-0, 15-3<\/p>\n
Indonesia bt Denmark 3-2 (Indonesia first)
\n
\nYuni Kartika lost to Camilla Martin 1-11, 11-9, 6-11; Eliza\/
\nFinarsih bt Lotte Olsen\/Lisbeth Stuer Lauridsen 15-10, 14-18, 15-
\n9; Yuliani Sentosa bt Pernille Nedergaard 11-4, 11-2; Susi
\nSusanti\/Rosiana Tendean lost to Pinne Mette Bille\/Marlene Thomsen
\n8-15, 9-15; Mia Audina bt Lotte Thomsen 11-0, 11-4<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/south-korea-and-malaysia-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}