Hendrawan, Johan advance to quarters

Hendrawan, Johan advance to quarters

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian men's badminton singles Hendrawan and
Johan Hadikusuma reached the quarterfinals of the US$250,000
Danish Open at Farum Arena in Copenhagen on Thursday, while
teammate Budi Santoso bowed out in the third round.

Top seed and world number one Hendrawan, a silver medalist at
the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was pushed to the limit in overcoming
young Chinese player Chen Wei 15-9, 9-15, 15-9.

He will face George Rimarcdi, an Indonesian now playing for
Sweden, in Friday's quarterfinals. George, whose international
ranking has dropped to 127, also had to work hard to defeat
Kenneth Jonassen 7-15, 15-5, 15-11.

"I didn't play well at the beginning, losing the first game,
but then I started playing my normal game, making Jonassen run
and taking my time. And it worked," George was quoted by
www.worldbadminton.net as saying.

"Now I will play Hendrawan, who is a friend and was a training
partner. I could beat him sometimes back in Indonesia, so maybe
also tomorrow."

Johan, ranked 43 in the world, had a comfortable 15-8, 15-2
win over Chinese qualifier Lin Liwen. He will face world number
16 Anders Boesen of Denmark in Friday's quarterfinals. Boesen
overcame China's Can Yun 15-11, 15-13 to reach the quarters.

Budi, who reached last week's Dutch Open semifinals, fell
short to eighth-seed Chen Hong of China, falling 11-15, 12-15.

Chen will face off against second seed and world number four
Peter Gade Christensen, the home favorite. Christensen made his
way into the quarterfinals with a dominating 15-8, 15-2 victory
over Sweden's Martin Hagberg.

Talented young Chinese shuttler Xiao Hu -- who buried 1996
Olympic gold medalist and defending champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-
Larsen of Denmark to put a disappointing end to his career --
eliminated Rasmus Wengberg of Sweden 15-4, 15-11.

Xiao, ranked 166 in the world, will take on world number 13
Richard Vaughan of Wales. Vaughan had to sweat out a 10-15, 15-6,
15-10 victory over Malaysian Roslin Hashim.

Gade Christensen's girlfriend, Camilla Martin, dismissed a
young Chinese shuttler to reach the women's singles
quarterfinals. Only two Europeans -- Martin and Marina
Andrievskaya of Sweden -- remain in the event.

Martin reached the quarters after crushing Zeng Yaqiong of
China 11-1, 11-1. She will now face Shizuka Yamamoto of Japan,
who beat Mette K Pedersen of Denmark 11-1, 11-3.

World number five Gong Ruina reached the quarterfinals in a
walkover after Canadian Elizabeth Cann withdrew from the
tournament for undetermined reasons.

The Indonesian men's doubles team of Sigit Budiarto and Halim
Heryanto, fresh from their Dutch Open win last week, also reached
the quarters by eliminating Japan's Norio Imai and Hiroshi Ohyama
15-8, 15-8.

The Indonesian pair will meet Michael Sogaard of Denmark and
Nathan Robertson of England, who had no trouble in taming the
young Danish pair of Mathias Boe and Michael Jensen 15-8, 15-5.

The mixed doubles team of Endra Mulyajaya and Vita Marissa
will face the top-seed team of Sogaard and Rikke Olsen in the
quarterfinals. The Indonesian duo defeated Lars Paaske and Jane
Bramsen of Denmark 6-15, 15-9, 15-11 to reach the quarters. (yan)