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)