Ardy beats Dong to confirm comeback
Ardy beats Dong to confirm comeback
TOKYO (Agencies): Indonesia's three-time Japan Open champion
Ardy Wiranata beat top seed Dong Jiong of China yesterday to
prove he is back on top form after being sidelined with hepatitis
for eight months.
Ardy, the winner here in 1991, 1992 and 1994, breezed past
Japan's Hiroyuki Yamaguchi 15-9, 15-4 earlier in the day and went
on to win his second-round match against the world number two 18-
13, 15-6 in the US$170,000 tournament.
"I was ill after the Thomas Cup last year and I couldn't
practice for more than three months," said Wiranata after the 50-
minute match against the Atlanta Olympics silver medalist.
"Although I played the Thailand Open in November, this is
virtually the first tournament since I started practicing
properly about six weeks ago. I'm delighted to have defeated the
top seed on the first day," he added.
Ardy, who has not won a title since the 1995 Indonesian Open,
said he has recovered about 75 or 80 percent of his form.
In the third round today, he will take on Henrik Bengtsson of
Sweden, who saw off joint ninth seed Kim Hak-kyun of South Korea
15-4, 6-15, 15-10 and Japan's Hidetaka Yamada 15-9, 15-6.
AFP reported that six other seeds crashed out yesterday,
including world number four Fung Permadi, an Indonesian shuttler
who plays for China Taipei, who was beaten by Henrik Sorensen of
Denmark 13-18, 11-15 in the first round.
"I've never played him (Permadi) before, but I saw him last
week in Taiwan when another Danish player, Peter Gade
Christensen, beat him there. I think the key was my motivation,"
said Sorensen, ranked 154th, who advanced to the third round by
beating Han Dong-Sung of South Korea 15-12, 17-14.
Joint fifth seeds Ong Ewe Hock of Malaysia, Sung Jun of China,
and ninth seed Salim of Indonesia also went out, with the women's
fifth seeds Lidya Djaelawidjaya and Meiluawati from Indonesia.
Other top favorites -- led by Olympic champion Poul-Erik
Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark in the men's and silver winner Mia Audina
of Indonesia in the women's -- scored two-game wins.
Mia cruised into the second round after beating Dane Lotte
Thomsen 11-1, 11-3. Today, she will meet Marina Andrievskaya of
Sweden, who won against Satomi Igawa of Japan 11-5, 11-6.
But Camilla Martin of Denmark, the European champion, who won
the Taipei Open title, needed a tough three games to beat Dai Yun
of China 11-5, 4-11, 11-8.
Doubles
Indonesia's three men's doubles Ricky Subagdja/Rexy Mainaky,
Antonius/Denny Kantono and Sigit Budiarto/Chandra Wijaya all
progressed to the next round.
Top seed Ricky/Rexy, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, easily
won over Tam Lok Tin/Chan Siu Kwong of Hong Kong 15-3, 15-1. The
duo, dubbed as the double Rs, face Chinese pair of Ge Cheng/Tao
Xiaoqiang today.
The 1996 Olympic bronze medalist Antonius/Denny beat Mike
Beres/Bryan Moody of Canada 15-3, 15-7. They will be challenged
by Japanese duo Takuya Katayama/Yuso Kuboto, who won walkover
against Malaysians Fredyno Saha/Eddeeza Saha.
Antara reported that juniors Sigit/Chandra, the Chinese Taipei
Open champion last week, cruised to the next round after
eliminating host duo Seiichi Watanabe/Fumihiko Machida 15-3, 15-
10.
Unfortunately teammates Rudy Wijaya/Tony Gunawan failed to go
through to the next round after they lost to Kitikul
Kitipon/Pramote Teerawiwatna of Thailand 10-15, 13-15.
In the women's doubles, the newly formed partnership of Susi
Susanti, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist, and Finarsih
successfully beat Kaori Mori/Naoko Miyake of Japan 15-3, 15-5.
Susi/Finarsih will have to overcome Marlene Thomsen/Lisbet
Stuer Lauridsen of Denmark today.
Another national women's doubles Elyza/Zelin Resiana received
a bye in the first round.