Hariyanto Arbi retains world title for Indonesia
Hariyanto Arbi retains world title for Indonesia
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Agencies): Indonesia claimed two men's
titles at the world championships here yesterday to put an end to
the weeks of disappointment tearing down its reputation as the
world's badminton powerhouse.
World number one Hariyanto Arbi employed his characteristic
jumping smashes to lift the world singles badminton title for
Indonesia when he beat South Korean Park Sung-woo 15-11, 15-8 in
the final.
All-England reigning men's doubles champions Ricky Subagja and
Rexy Mainaky cemented their number one tag with a world
championship crown as they destroyed Denmark's Thomas Lund and
Jon Holst Christensen 15-5, 15-2. It was the second title for
Ricky after winning the doubles with Rudy Gunawan two years ago.
In the women's doubles, Indonesia's Lili Tampi and Finarsih
fell in their second successive final appearance, losing to South
Korean Gil Young-ah and Jang Hye-ock in three sets 15-3, 11-15,
10-15.
A flurry of blows recently hit Indonesia when it failed to
regain the Sudirman Cup mixed team title last week and with the
shocking defeats of badminton queen Susi Susanti. Susi capped her
vulnerable run here when she crashed to Chinese eventual champion
Ye Zhaoying in Friday's semifinals.
The number one seed Hariyanto had to show all his fighting
qualities when 7-10 down in the first game to take the next seven
points with a flurry of crushing airborne smashes and shots hit
straight or sliced short and steep.
Park, who beat the world number in the Thomas Cup semifinals
last year, failed to contain the relentless onslaught and
conceded the first game in 28 minutes.
Hariyanto increased the pressure in the second game but with
his deadly smashes sometimes too long, he was quickly 3-7 down.
But once again employing his rich repertoire of strokes, he
started scoring repeatedly with stunning smashes to both
sidelines and quickly overturned the deficit, allowing the equal
fifth seed, ranked number eight in the world, just one more
point.
Hariyanto, who had eliminated title holder and compatriot Joko
Suprianto in the quarterfinals and avenged his loss to Poul Erik
Hoyer Larsen in the semifinals, said: "I came here to win both
the Sudirman Cup (team title) and the championship. After we lost
the cup I was determined to win the title.
"My tactic was to set up play for my smashes and I think this
is what won me the match."
Park, who qualified for the final when his semifinal opponent
Denmark's Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen was forced to retire through
injury, was gracious in defeat.
"I could not do anything against Arbi this time. He was just
too good for me. He was very fast and his smashes were
unstoppable. He is a worthy world champion," he said.
Ye Zhaoying -- Page 12