Indonesia dominates Japan Open finals
Indonesia dominates Japan Open finals
TOKYO (Agencies): Indonesia confirmed its badminton superiority at the US$125,000 Japan Open championships, assuring itself of two men's titles and all places in today's finals.
All-England reigning champion Hariyanto Arbi set up another final showdown against world champion and compatriot Joko Suprianto after winning the all-Indonesian semifinal matches yesterday.
Fresh from his victory in the Korea Open last week, Hariyanto jumped ahead 8-0 in the decider to score a 15-6, 10-15, 15-4 victory over top seed and title holder Ardy Wiranata. In another all-Indonesian affair, Joko drubbed Olympic gold medalist Alan Budikusuma 15-4, 15-3.
Joko and Hariyanto last met in the Asian Games final in Hiroshima last year, with second seed Hariyanto claiming his first Asiad gold medal.
Indonesia will leave the tournament with the men's doubles title as its world's top two pairs renew their rivalry in today's final. Number one Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky were untroubled in dispatching England's fifth seeds Chris Hunt and Simon Archer 15-3, 15-6.
World number two and All-England winners Bambang Suprianto and Rudy Gunawan made short work of the new Malaysian partnership of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock at 15-7, 15-6.
In the women's singles, world number one Susi Susanti moved a step closer to a stunning fourth consecutive crown, when she overpowered arch rival China's number one Ye Zhaoying 11-5, 11-3.
Some players predicted Susi's decline, after she crashed out of the Asian Games in Hiroshima last October. But since then, Susi Susanti has won the Thailand Open, the Grand Prix Final and last weekend's Korea Open.
In the final, Susi will play South Korea's Bang Soo-hyun, whom she beat in the Seoul final last week. Bang breezed past European champion Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden 11-3, 11-6 in the other semifinals.
In the women's doubles, top seeds, number one Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China, and number two team Finarsih and Lily Tampi of Indonesia advanced to the final.
Ge and Gu brushed aside English pair Julie Bradbury and Joanne Wright 15-11, 15-8. Finarsih and Tampi outgunned China's Zhang Jin and Peng Xingyong 17-15, 15-8.
The mixed doubles final will be between the top-seeded Danish pair of Thomas Lund and Mariene Thomsen and the Indonesian duo of Trikus Heryanto and Minarti Timur.