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)