All Indonesian shuttlers sent home in ABC semis

All Indonesian shuttlers sent home in ABC semis

JAKARTA (Agencies): Indonesia's title hopes were snuffed out in the semifinals of the US$136,000 JVC Asian Badminton Championships (ABC) in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Lone remaining men's singles representative Marlev Mainaky failed to fulfill his ambition to go one better than his final spot last year, losing to third seeded Malaysian Ong Ewe Hock 3- 15, 15-5, 7-15. Marlev reached the semis with a measure of revenge by beating defending champion Chen Gang of China 15-11, 15-3 on Friday.

But the 27-year-old Indonesian could not outlast the aggressive Ong.

The Malaysian world number 10 is making a successful comeback after taking a break for about seven months due to an injury suffered in the Grand Prix Final in February. He beat Indonesian Indra Wijaya 17-16, 15-8 in the quarterfinals.

Ong will face Chen Hong of China, who upset top seed Fung Permadi of Chinese Taipei 15-8, 9-15, 15-7, Bernama reported.

In the all-Chinese women's singles semifinals, fourth seed Zhang Ning upset world number one Dai Yun 9-11, 11-4, 11-3. Zhang will take on her senior compatriot Ye Zhaoying, who crushed Gong Zhichao 11-2, 11-4.

In the women's doubles, Indonesia's best hope of Etty Tantri and Cynthia Tuwankotta lost to the world's third ranked pair Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China. Etty and Cynthia, the 1999 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalists, bowed out to the Chinese 15-7, 15-6.

Ge and Gu subdued a spirited fight of eighth seeded Indonesians Minarti Timur and Zelin Resiana 10-15, 15-9, 15-12.

The Chinese pairs will challenge second seeds Ra Kyung-min and Chung Jae-hee of South Korea. Ra and Chung, who beat Indonesians Emma Ermawati and Vita Marissa 15-3, 15-6 in the last eight, eliminated the Thai pairing Sujitra Eakmongkolpaisarn and Saralee Thongtonkam 15-1, 15-8.

Indonesia's two mixed doubles pairs also were sent packing.

Fifth seed Tri Kusheryanto and Zelin Resiana fought bravely but could not overcome the world champions Kim Dong-moon and Ra Kyung-min of South Korea, losing 15-13, 11-15, 6-15.

Compatriots Bambang Suprianto and Minarti Timur went down meekly to Liu Yong and Ge Fei of China 2-15, 5-15.

The final between the Koreans and Chinese will be a rematch of the World Championships title match.

World number one men's doubles Kim Dong-moon and Ha Tae-kwon of South Korea were too powerful for Thai Pramote Teerawiwatana and Tesana Pansisavas, the 1999 SEA Games gold medalists, winning 15-11, 15-7.

Earlier on Friday, the South Koreans defeated Indonesia's new partnership of Tri Kusheryanto and Bambang Suprianto 13-15, 15- 11, 15-6.

Kim and Ha will face third seeds Zhang Jun and Zhang Wei of China. The Chinese pair edged the veteran Malaysian partnership of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock 17-16, 15-8.

The tournament marked the return of Yap after a year-long hiatus to recover from a shoulder injury. Cheah and Yap won the 1996 Olympics silver medal. (yan)