Indonesia assured of two medals at badminton Cup
JAKARTA (JP): Two All-Indonesia clashes, in the men's singles and the women's doubles, will highlight this evening's finals of the World Cup badminton championships in the Senayan indoor stadium.
Whether Joko Suprianto can extend his 6-2 winning streak over Alan Budikusuma is one question. The other question involves which two women's doubles are better: Rosiana Zelin and Eliza, or Lili Tampi and Finarsih.
The other finals are by no means less enthralling: World number one Susi Susanti takes on China's queen Ye Zhaoying in the women's singles.
In the men's doubles, world number one Rexy Mainaky and Ricky Subagdja face Thailand's Pramote Teerawiwatana and Sakrapee Thongsari. In the mixed doubles, Trikus Heryanto and Minarti Timur meet South Korea's Kim Dong-moon and Kim Shin-young.
"Alan is attack-minded. So, I will try to blunt his attacks. With his attacks ineffective, he will be frustrated and it will be easier for me to dispose of him," Joko told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
"Joko's weapon is his strokes, I mean his technical play. I think my chance of winning and his is equal. We are very well acquainted with each other's styles and plays," Alan said.
Alan, whom Joko outlasted 9-15, 15-4, 18-14 in the Indonesia Open semifinal in August last year, added that, actually, he preferred playing foreign shuttlers to compatriot Joko because "the zest is there".
Joko, on the other hand, would like to have Ardy Bernadus Wiranata, whom Alan ousted 15-10, 15-3 in yesterday's semifinal, rather than Alan as his final foe because "Ardy is easier to beat".
Alan attributed his semifinal win over Ardy yesterday to his motivation to stand equal with his fiance, Susi Susanti, as the world number one. He added that Ardy's reduced stamina, from always playing rubber sets in the previous rounds, contributed to his win. But Ardy said his loss had nothing to do with his fitness. "Alan is better than me. He often beats me," Ardy said flatly.
On China's Chen Gang, whom he eclipsed 15-2, 15-7 in yesterday's semis, Joko said that Gang is still immature. "His back right defense is superb. His stroke is good but it is apparent that he is inexperienced."
Susi
Susi's too-convincing semifinal win of 11-2, 11-5, over arch rival Lim Xiao Qing yesterday, asserts her reign. "I succeeded in anticipating her dangerous left-net attacks. That's the key of my victory," Susi said.
"The public always demands that I must win. This is a burden for me. I try to see it as a sense of trust and attention given to me by the public," she added.
In the other women's semifinal, China's Ye Zhaoying found it hard defeating Indonesia's rising star Mia Audina.
Ye was stretched to a rubber game 11-6, 4-11, 11-7. "It seems that she has figured out my playing style. I often found myself at a loss as to how to retrieve Ye's difficult shots," Mia said. (arf)