Hoyer-Larsen profits from stars' no-show

JAKARTA (JP): The 1996 Olympic men's singles gold medalist, Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark, said on Monday he was disappointed by the long list of absentees at the Indonesia Badminton Open this week.

But Hoyer-Larsen, at 33 the oldest competitor in the US$120,000 event, is putting a positive spin on the shortage of stars, saying it will clear his way to the title.

"I am sorry that the Chinese and South Korean shuttlers will be missing. The tournament would have been more competitive had they come," the Dane said after practice at the Senayan Indoor Stadium, the venue for the Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 tournament.

"But their absence means my path to the top will be much easier," he added.

Hoyer-Larsen is seeded second behind rising Indonesian star and world number three Hendrawan. Both receive byes into the second round.

Hendrawan, seeking his first title at home, has not won anything since a giant-killing display that earned him the Singapore Open title in August.

Hoyer-Larsen speculated that the Chinese and South Korean players were skipping the Indonesian round of the badminton grand prix series to allow them to focus on the trip in Hong Kong two weeks after the tournament here.

"Security concerns might be the other reason for their absence," Hoyer-Larsen said.

"I decided to come here because I heard that the Army chief of staff had guaranteed that the country was safe. International TV news also convinced me it was safe to compete here," he added.

In the women's singles, top seed Mia Audina, who also receives a first-round bye, should only have to stretch her muscles in the final against either Denmark's Mette Sorensen or last year's finalist Ellen Angelina.

An all-Indonesian final is expected to materialize in the men's doubles, with top seeds and 1996 Olympic champions Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky tipped to meet Antonius Arianto and Denny Kantono. Only the Danish duo of Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen looks capable of upsetting the host's party.

World champion Candra Wijaya will team up with Tony Gunawan, instead of regular partner Sigit Budiarto who is currently facing doping charges. (yan)