Candra/Sigit advance to Korean final

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Men's doubles veterans Candra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto served notice on Saturday that they will be a force to be reckoned with in 2005 by reaching the Korea Open badminton final.

With two seeded scalps under their belt already, the Indonesians beat the host team of Jae-Sung Jung/Jae-Jin Lee 15- 10, 15-7 in 40 minutes in Incheon City.

The Koreans defeated Indonesian defending champions and top seeds Luluk Hadiyanto/Alven Yulianto in the second round.

The 1997 world champions and 2003 All England victors are unseeded in the tournament after injuries, Sigit's ban for using the steroid nandrolone and several changes of partners. They were reunited in 2004, and have set a target to recapture the All England and World Championships in August.

They face the second seeded Danes Jens Eriksen and Martin Hansen Lundgaard, who outlasted China's Shendong Guo/Zhongbo Xie 15-4, 16-17, 17-14 in 1 hour, 23 minutes.

However, the only other remaining Indonesians at the tournament, mixed doubles fifth seeds Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir were beaten by hometown favorites Jae-Jin Lee/Hyo-Jung Lee 12-15, 15-7, 15-13.

The Koreans face the Danish pair Jens Eriksen/Mette Schjoldager in the final.