Agus upsets Xia, to meet former compatriot Budi

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former Indonesian badminton player Agus Harianto provided another major upset in the US$125,000 All England, defeating first seed Xia Xuanze of China in the third round on Thursday.

Now representing Hong Kong, Agus came from behind to defeat Xia 5-7, 2-7, 7-2, 8-6, 8-7 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England, in 66 minutes as reported by www.worldbadminton.net.

Agus will now face former compatriot Budi Santoso in Friday's quarterfinals. Budi defeated another Chinese shuttler, Wu Yunyong, 7-2, 6-8, 7-1, 7-5 in 48 minutes. Budi is the last surviving Indonesian shuttler in the men's singles.

Second-string Indonesian shuttler Rony Agustinus proved no match for the fourth-seeded Lin Dan of China, losing 7-0, 7-2, 7- 2 in just 21 minutes.

Lin Dan will now meet Shon Seung-mo of South Korea, who crushed another Indonesian shuttler, veteran Marlev Mainaky, 7-2, 7-3, 2-7, 7-1 in 40 minutes.

The other two quarterfinal matches are all-Chinese affairs, guaranteeing a berth in the final for China. Chen Yu will face Bao Chunlai in one match, while Luo Yigang and Chen Hong will square off in the other.

Three other Indonesian men's shuttlers, second-stringer Johan Hadikusuma, and juniors Adriansyah and Sony Dwi Kuncoro crashed out in the earlier rounds.

In the men's doubles, Indonesia is left with only one team, the top seeded Candra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto. They will take on Malaysia's seventh-seeded pairing of Jeremy Gan and Ng Kean Kok.

The Indonesian duo of veteran shuttler Halim Heryanto and second-stringer Nova Widianto failed to stop Jesper Larsen and Jim Laugesen of Denmark.

The Danish pair, seeded six in the event, overcame a slow start to post a 2-7, 8-7, 7-5, 6-8, 8-6 victory in 51 minutes, setting up a quarterfinal match against South Korea's Ha Tae-kwon and Kim Dong-moon.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's former world number one pairing of Eng Hian and Flandy Limpele, who now play for England, will face second seeds Zhang Jun and Zhang Wei of China.

Indonesia did not send its women's shuttlers and mixed doubles teams to the event, opting to keep the women at home to prepare for the finals of the women's team Uber Cup, which will take place in Guangzhou, China, from May 9 to May 19.