Indonesia, China to fight it out in Uber Cup

By Arif Suryobuwono

HONG KONG (JP): Both defending champion Indonesia and China stand an equal chance of beating each other on the second day of the Uber Cup women's team badminton championship here today.

Indonesia's team manager Iwan Setiawan told reporters yes terday that even though the Chinese players look better in terms of their world rankings, he believed that his team is by no means inferior.

China's Ye Zhaoying ranks No. 1 in the world and Susi is No. 3. But actually, the two are equal, Iwan said.

Barcelona Olympic gold medalist Susi beat Ye 11-5, 11-2 for the Taipei Masters title in mid-January, but a week later, Ye took revenge with a 11-7, 11-8 win in the Japan Open final.

Iwan added that in his opinion, China's world No. 1 partnership of Ge Fei and Gu Jun were not as strong as many thought.

Therefore, both Indonesia and China cannot take each other lightly in today's matches. "The side which takes a 2-0 lead first will have the biggest chance of winning," he said.

Iwan said that even though South Korea played unconvincingly against a progressing Denmark on the first day, it would be more convenient for Indonesia to play Denmark in the semifinals next Thursday.

"We have better women's singles (in Susi Susanti and Mia Audina) than Denmark, which relies only on Camilla Martin," Iwan reasoned.

"Therefore, a victory over China would mean a semifinal match against Denmark," Iwan said. Iwan believed that in Group B, South Korea will eventually emerge as the winner, with Denmark the runner-up.

Indonesia beat China 3-2 in the 1994 final on home ground to take the trophy it last won in 1975. China had previously won the Cup five times in a row since 1984.

Avoid Koreans

Iwan said China might also want to avoid South Korea, which was not in top form because its doubles specialist, Jang Hye-ock, was not well.

South Korea edged Denmark 3-2 only after laboring for three hours 68 minutes on Thursday, which saw the world No. 2 pair of Gil Young-ah and Jang Hye-ock crash to Denmark's Marlene Thomsen and Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen.

Bang Soo-hyun got off to a shaky start before beating Denmark No. 1 Camilla Martin 11-7, 11-8. South Korea received another threat when Anne Sondergaard defeated Kim Ji-hyun 11-4, 1-11, 11- 8.

South Korea's second doubles team of Kim Mee-hyang and Kim Shin-young equalized by beating Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen 12-15, 17-15, 15-3, before Ra Kyung-min sealed the Danes' fate, winning with an 11-7, 11-0 rout of minnow Mette Pedersen.

On the other hand, China's coach, Hou Jia Zhang, said that the way Indonesia drowned Japan 5-0 on the first day indicated that Indonesia's Uber Cuppers were by no means underdogs. "They are more skilled than both our players and South Korea's. Indonesia stands a good chance to outdo us in at least two events. One is in the singles and the other in the doubles," Hou said, "If Susi and Mia play correctly, they are unbeatable."

Denmark's team manager Morten Frost Hansen warned, however, that even though China and Indonesia prefer his team rather than South Korea, "they should watch out. We can upset them at any time".

South Korea's hard-earned win over Hansen's Uber Cup squad showed that "playing Denmark cannot be regarded as a walkaway," said the former All England champion.

"We were unlucky last night not to beat Korea. We could have won. After all, the result shows that we have made considerable improvement. Two years ago, we would not be able to get so close to Korea," Morten said.

However, Hansen did not think that his team has a chance to make it to the final. "We just hope to get to the semifinals. After all, we have to be realistic."

Today's Uber Cup fixtures Group A: China vs Indonesia, Russia vs Japan Group B: Denmark vs England, South Korea vs Hong Kong