Danish pair expect lighter task Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Danish men's doubles shuttlers Jonas Rasmussen and Lars Paaskee are hoping that they will face a bit of an easier task with Chinese players not around during the Indonesia Open badminton championship, which starts here on Wednesday.

"China is not coming here, I think it will be a little bit easier," said Rasmussen during the team's practice session at the Asia-Africa badminton hall, outside the Bung Karno sports compound, here on Monday.

China is not among the 14 countries participating in the US$250,000, sixth-tier Indonesia Open at the Bung Karno sports hall.

Rasmussen and Paaskee are third seeds behind Indonesian pairs Candra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto, and Luluk Hadiyanto and Alven Yulianto.

"Sigit Budiarto and Candra Wijaya are the toughest opponents... I'm confident of reaching the final," Rasmussen said.

Candra and Sigit were runners-up at last month's World Badminton Championships in Anaheim, California.

Fellow Dane Kenneth Jonassen, top seed in the men's singles, said that although China was absent from the competition would be tough given top players from other parts of the world such as world champion Taufik Hidayat and Malaysia's ace Lee Chong Wei.

Some of the lesser-known Indonesian players, he said, could also spring surprises.

"I have never heard their names and have never seen them play, but they may be dangerous," he said.

In addition to Denmark, other teams were seen at the training venue including Indonesian-born players Mia Audina Tjiptawan, who plays for the Netherlands, and Pi Hongyan of France.

"I'm in a good shape," Pi Hongyan, the top seed in the women's singles, said, hinting at her readiness for the five-day event which ends on Sunday.

The event will be broadcast live by SCTV with the quarterfinal telecast scheduled from Sept. 21 to Sept. 23 starting at 1 p.m. The semifinal and final broadcasts will start 12:30 p.m. (004)