Taufik advances to Indonesian Open final against Chen<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Taufik Hidayat and Chen Hong will meet in the finals of the
\nIndonesian Open badminton championship for the third consecutive
\ntime after winning their semifinal matches here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Taufik of Indonesia has won the previous two meetings and he
\nwill face the third seed from China at the expense of top seed
\nLin Dan whom he beat 15-5, 5-15, 11-15 in front of noisy home
\nsupporters inside the Bung Karno Tennis Indoor Stadium.<\/p>\n
Chen Hong booked his final place after outlasting fellow
\nChinese and second seed Bao Chunlai, also in three games, 6-15,
\n15-6, 15-9.<\/p>\n
\"Holding two wins from the previous two final matches, I guess
\nI have a good chance to win the third,\" Taufik said during a
\nmedia conference after his semifinal match.<\/p>\n
But Indonesia's hopes for a guaranteed title in the men's
\ndoubles did not materialize after Flandi Limpele\/Eng Hian failed
\nto overcome second seeds Fu Haifeng\/Cai Yun of China, losing 17-
\n15, 15-8.<\/p>\n
Title hopes now rest on Luluk Hadiyanto\/Alven Yulianto, who
\nbrushed aside Malaysian pair Chew Choon Eng\/Choong Tan Fook 15-7,
\n13-15, 15-3.<\/p>\n
China dominated the event also with representatives in the
\nremaining three events.<\/p>\n
They are already assured of the women's doubles title after
\ntop seeds Yang Wei\/Zhang Jiewen set up an all-Chinese final with
\nthird seeds Zhang Dan\/Zhang Yawen.<\/p>\n
Yang\/Zhang were too strong for South Korea's Lee Kyung-won\/Ha
\nJung-eun with an easy 15-3, 15-5 win, while the other two Zhangs
\nwere involved in a three-game fight with compatriots Du Jing\/Yu
\nYang before pulling away with a 13-15, 15-8, 17-14 win.<\/p>\n
In the mixed doubles, top seeds Zhang Jun\/Gao Ling, who edged
\nout Hendry Kurniawan Saputra\/Li Yujia of Singapore 15-10, 15-8,
\nwill be challenged by English pair Robert Blair\/Natalie Munt, the
\n15-9, 3-15, 15-8 winners over Malaysia's Koo Kien Keat\/Wong Pei
\nTty.<\/p>\n
Chinese contender in the women's singles is Xie Xingfang, who
\nwill be challenged by Japanese Eriko Hirose, a surprise 11-2, 9-
\n11, 7-11 winner over Salakjit Ponsana of Thailand.<\/p>\n
Xie cruised to the final after holding off Tracey Hallam of
\nEngland 11-4, 11-4.<\/p>\n
It looked dull on Saturday after rain fell outside the sports
\ncompound and clouds remained above. But that did not hold back
\nspectators.<\/p>\n
Few were seated early but when Taufik took to the court the
\nnumber grew, almost filling the 4,000-seat stadium, shouting
\nrelentlessly at him.<\/p>\n
Taufik honored their loyalty on court, though it was not an
\neasy task in the early stage as the Indonesian star had to cope
\nwith a strong wind from the building's AC system.<\/p>\n
\"It was blowing too hard. I felt my shuttlecock was in the
\nwrong place whatever shots I made. It was difficult to take
\ncontrol of my shots,\" Taufik said.<\/p>\n
Taufik's hardship was evident when he fell to a string of
\neither long or wide shots which handed Lin Dan eight points on
\nthe trot.<\/p>\n
In the second game, it was Lin Dan who had to struggle with
\nthe wind, which allowed Taufik to level the score.<\/p>\n
\"In the third game, Taufik began the game on an unlucky side
\nof the court and I told him to try to win as many points as
\npossible,\" coach Mulyo Handoyo said.<\/p>\n
Olympic champion Taufik was leading 8-5 during changeover.
\nThough, he was dealt a brief fright when he trailed 9-11 before
\nregrouping to wrap up the match.<\/p>\n
While admitting difficulties caused by the strong wind, Lin
\nDan, who beat Taufik in 2001 in the only other meeting between
\nthem, appeared disappointed by the defeat.<\/p>\n
\"I had been confident about my prospects. I played well in the
\nopening game but I could not maintain that winning momentum,\" he
\nsaid through an interpreter.<\/p>",
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