Exhausted Taufik gives Korea Open a miss

Exhausted Taufik gives Korea Open a miss

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After his disappointing performance at the Copenhagen Masters in
December, Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat has begged off playing
in the six-star Noonnoppi Korea Open later this month, citing the
need to rest.

"Taufik had requested PBSI remove him from the team to compete
US$250,000 Korea Open after his poor results in Copenhagen,"
Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) head of development
affairs Icuk Sugiarto said on Monday.

"I talked to his coach today, and we agreed to drop him from
the squad."

After winning Olympic gold in Athens last August, Taufik, 23,
continued playing at top form, taking the Indonesia Open here for
the fifth time in early December.

However, in Copenhagen later the same month, Taufik suffered
consecutive defeats to Dane Peter Gade and Wong Choong Hann of
Malaysia in his round robin group.

Icuk said Taufik had been under heavy pressure to win in
Copenhagen after his Indonesia Open triumph.

"He needs to take a rest for a while," Icuk said.

With Taufik out of the Korea Open, Indonesia has entered 11
shuttlers in the tournament, he said.

They are Simon Santoso in the men's singles; men's double
pairs Luluk Hadiyanto/Alven Yulianto, Chandra Wijaya/Sigit
Budiarto and Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan; and the mixed double
pairs of Nova Widhianto/Lilyana Natsir and Anggun Nugroho/Yunita
Tetty.

Icuk said that although the players had been registered to
play in the Korea Open, PBSI chairman Sutiyoso would have the
final say on whether they would actually compete.

He targeted an Indonesian win in the men's doubles in Incheon
City, while one of the mixed doubles pairs could at least reach
the final.

Icuk also said Olympic bronze medalist Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who
had undergone minor surgery on his injured right instep, might be
able to return to competition next month.

"We had planned to send Sony to the All England (March) and
Japan Open (April), but perhaps we could seek a tournament in
Chinese Taipei next month for him if his condition gets much
better this week."

Sony last played at the Indonesia Open, where he was stopped
in the quarterfinals by Bao Chunlai of China 5-15, 2-15.