Susi leads Indonesia into Japan Open semifinals<\/p>\n
TOKYO (AFP): World number one Susi Susanti showed no ill-
\neffects going on to beat Camilla Martin and storm into the
\nsemifinals of the Japan Open badminton championships yesterday.<\/p>\n
Indonesia strongly dominated the men's single event after its
\nonly remaining challenger Jeroen van Dijk of the Netherlands was
\nedged out by defending champion Ardy Wiranata 5-15, 11-15.<\/p>\n
The first Olympic champion from Indonesia got off to a slow
\nstart to beat Kim Ji-hyun of South Korea 11-8, 5-11, 12-9 earlier
\nin the day but went on to win her second match of the day 11-6,
\n11-4 against the Dane in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n
\"I lacked concentration in the first match, because it was
\nshortly after I got up in the morning. But I felt much better in
\nthe second match,\" said the 23-year-old world champion.<\/p>\n
Olympic silver medalist Bang Soo-hyun of South Korea, second
\nseed, and joint third seeds Ye Zhaoying of China and European
\nchampion Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden clinched the remaining three
\nplaces in the semifinals.<\/p>\n
Bang, losing finalist to Susi in Seoul last weekend, had to
\nsteady herself in the decider to beat China's Han Jingna 7-11,
\n12-11, 11-1, while Ye also needed to recover from a game down to
\nbeat South Korea's Ra Kyung-min 6-11, 11-6, 11-9.<\/p>\n
Lim rallied to an 11-4, 11-9 victory over Indonesia's Uber Cup
\nheroine Mia Audina to set up a semifinal lineup against Bang
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
Susi was never in trouble against Martin, continuing her
\nmatch-winning streak against European opponents since she lost to
\nHelen Troke of England in 1988.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not especially strong against European players. Even
\nagainst Asian players, it was in 1993 that Ye beat me at the
\nIndonesian Open final before Hisako Mizui beat me at the Asian
\nGames (in October last year).<\/p>\n
\"But I have to confess that I can beat European players
\neasier, because, compared with Asian players, they lose
\nconcentration when I take a lead,\" she added.<\/p>\n
In the men's semifinals today, Ardy will take on current All-
\nEngland champion Hariyanto Arbi, the winner over Hermawan Susanto
\n11-15, 15-5, 15-11.<\/p>\n
In other quarterfinals, world champion Joko Suprianto
\noutgunned Fung Permadi 15-3, 15-9, while Alan Budikusuma, who won
\nthe Barcelona Olympics with his fiancee Susi, kept a hope of
\nanother 'golden double' beating Lioe Tiong Ping 11-15, 18-17, 15-
\n12.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/susi-leads-indonesia-into-japan-open-semifinals-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}