Hendrawan confident of success in Grand Prix Finals debut
Hendrawan confident of success in Grand Prix Finals debut
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's top men's badminton singles player
Hendrawan is upbeat about possible victory in his debut at the
Grand Prix Finals later this month.
The world number five said he was in top form, thanks to a
two-month break from competition that allowed him to recover from
illness.
"I feel I'm physically much stronger than ever. I think the
layoff is too long for me and I cannot wait for a return to
court," he said.
Hendrawan last played in the Asian Games last December and
missed the season's two opening tournaments in Seoul and Taipei
earlier this month. He complained of fever during the Games in
which he led Indonesia to the men's team gold medal and took the
men's singles silver medal.
Apart from Hendrawan, Budi Santoso and Hariyanto Arbi are also
tipped to lift the men's singles crown in the Grand Prix Finals.
The season-ending tournament was delayed from its original
schedule of December last year to Feb. 24-28 because of the Asian
Games.
Only the world's top 16 players in both men's and women's
singles are eligible for the finals, as are the top eight pairs
in the women's, men's and mixed doubles.
The Indonesian men's singles trio will face a strong field of
Denmark's Peter Gade Christensen, Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen and
Kenneth Jonassen, China's Sun Jun, Luo Yigang, Dong Jiong and
Chen Gang, Malaysia's Ong Ewe Hock, Yong Hock Kin, Rashid Sidek
and Roslin Hashim, Swede Thomas Johansson and Jeroen van Dijk of
the Netherlands.
Hendrawan said he would like his opponents to rate him an
underdog on account of his being out of action for a couple of
months.
"It will be a little difficult in the early stages of my
comeback, and I hope everybody will be easy on me. Being an
underdog always give me an advantage," he said.
He predicted Chinese opponents would give him the toughest
test.
"As usual, the Chinese will make me play to the fullest. But
I'm now highly motivated to prove that I deserve the world best
tag," he said.
An exhausted Hendrawan lost to China's Olympic silver medalist
Dong in the Asian Games final.
Fielding four pairs, Indonesia looks certain to dominate the
men's doubles competition at the Grand Prix Finals. Topping the
seeding list are Olympic and Asian Games champions Ricky Subagja
and Rexy Mainaky.
There has been confusion in the Indonesian camp as the pairing
of Tony Gunawan and Halim Heryanto are listed as qualifiers
although they no longer form a partnership. Tony is now teaming
up with Candra Wijaya, whose old partner Sigit Budiarto is
serving a one-year drug ban.
"I couldn't believe it. We are no longer partners and have not
played together for months," said Tony, who won the Malaysia Open
with Halim and will be seeded third in Brunei.
"But everything will be okay. We have been working out
together for three weeks, and there's no problem in rebuilding
our teamwork," Tony added.
In the women's singles, Mia Audina is the only Indonesian to
have secured a place in the finals. Her teammate Lydia
Djaelawidjaja has been named the first alternate player.
Indonesia will also have a pair each in the women's doubles --
Elysa Nathanael and Deyana Lomban -- and mixed doubles -- Minarti
Timur and Tri Kusherjanto. (yan)