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)