China to field best team against Indonesia

China to field best team against Indonesia

COPENHAGEN (JP): Chinese coach Tong Sin Fu said China would
not risk losing its chance and would field its strongest team
against archrival Indonesia in their Group A match at the
Sudirman Cup mixed badminton team championships on Wednesday.

"We will pick our strongest players, and we have enough
options in some of the categories to beat Indonesia. China stands
a bigger chance of winning, although it is not 100 percent
certain," said Tong, who formerly coached Indonesian players,
including 1995 world champion Hariyanto Arbi.

But Tong refused to unveil his team's possible line-up for
clash with Indonesia. "We'll see who's ready for the match in the
last training," he said.

Head coach Li Yongbo concurred, saying that he would decide
the lineup based on the players' conditions after Tuesday's
practice and the results for Group B.

"We might not field the same players as today because we have
many strong players," he said.

Tong predicted that Indonesia would win the men's doubles as
it had four pairs who are ranked in the top four.

He rated China's odds to take the women's singles and doubles
at 60-40, and the men's singles and mixed doubles at 50-50.

Indonesia's deputy team manager, Christian Hadinata, expected
some of China's top players to play on Wednesday, which will
serve as a warmup for the semifinals on Friday.

He named women's doubles pair Ge Fei and Gu Jun, mixed pair
Liu Yong and Ge Fei, women's singles Ye Zhaoying and men's
singles of Dong Jiong as the candidates to play.

Indonesia will arrange the best strategy against China,
according to Christian, with Hendrawan likely playing in the
men's singles and Cindana in the women's singles.

In the women's doubles, world champions Ge Fei and Gu Jun look
too strong for Deyana Lomban and Indarti Issoliana, who will
unite after parting for almost a year. Deyana's present partner,
Elysa, is nursing her injured knee before the World Championships
next week.

Indonesia's top men's pairing of Candra Wijaya and Tony
Gunawan look good against China's Zhang Wei and Zhang Jun.

Indonesia could steal a point in the mixed doubles if Tri
Kusherjanto and Minarti Timur can regain the form that helped
them beat Chinese rivals Liu Yong and Ge Fei at the Asian Games
last December.

In Group A, Denmark, who just won its first match against
South Korea, is expected to overcome Sweden. The host country
has good chances to win men's singles, women's singles, women's
doubles and mixed doubles. While Sweden could take the men's
doubles.

Denmark is expected to rest Peter Gade Christensen and allow
veteran Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen play the men's singles match
against Sweden's world No. 22 Thomas Johansson or No. 28 Rasmus
Wengberg. In the women's singles, world No. 3 Camilla Martin will
be too strong for Marina Andrievskaya.

In the men's doubles, Dane's Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen
will face stiff opposition from Peter Axelsson and Par-Gunnar
Jonson.

Denmark has many choices of pairs for the women's and mixed
doubles matches, and each of them look better than their Swedish
rivals.

Denmark's head coach, Kenneth Larsen, expressed optimism that
his athletes could overcome Sweden. "We should win 5-0 over
Sweden. It won't be as hard as against Korea."

He hinted he might not field the same team as he had many
options, especially in the doubles.

Swedish coach Atiek Djauhari said he only hoped to steal one
point from the men's doubles. (yan)