Indonesian shuttlers dominate JVC Asian Badminton C'ships

Indonesian shuttlers dominate JVC Asian Badminton C'ships

JAKARTA (JP): Seeded players tumbled in the second day of the
US$150,000 JVC Asian Badminton Championships at the Senayan
Indoor Stadium on Thursday with the biggest upset being the
ousting of Indonesian women's singles second seed Lidya
Djaelawidjaja.

Meanwhile, men's singles seeds Luo Yigang of China, and Lee
Hyun-il and Park Tae-sang of South Korea also had to bow out
early.

Lidya, who was expected to face a tough challenge from top
seed Lee Kyung-won of South Korea in the final, received a shock
challenge from little known Japanese Fumi Iwawaki.

Lidya, barracked by local spectators, was unable to return
Iwawaki's smashes and dropshots before finally losing 12-13, 9-
11.

Leading the first game 10-5, Lidya started to lose her
confidence as the energetic Iwawaki always managed to move all
over the court to return the ball.

"She (Iwawaki) was more aggressive even though I knew her
style, but I didn't play my best because I was under pressure. As
the higher seed, I was under pressure to win today's match while
she played all out," said Lidya, also blaming her failure on the
short notice given her by the Badminton Association of Indonesia
two weeks prior to the event.

Iwawaki, who will meet Le Ngoc Nguyen Nhung of Vietnam on
Friday, said: "I played without any strategy. I just wanted to do
my best."

In the men's singles, fifth seed Luo Yigang was surprisingly
defeated by Ronald Susilo, an Indonesian playing for Singapore,
6-15, 15-7, 13-15.

Ronald will meet third seed Marlev Mainaky of Indonesia who
defeated Lwin Aung of Myanmar 15-11, 15-4.

South Korea's seventh seed Lee Hyun-il was beaten by host
player Rony Agustinus 3-15, 11-15. Rony will now meet second seed
Wong Choon Hann of Malaysia in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, eighth seed Park Tae-sang of South Korea was beaten
by Malaysian Yong Hock Kin 12-15, 10-15. Yong now goes on to
challenge first seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.

Taufik was stretched to the limit before finally beating
another Malaysian Lee Tsuen Seng 17-14, 11-9.

In the men's doubles, second seeds Kittipon Kitikul and
Khunakorn Sudhisodhi of Thailand were unexpectedly eliminated by
the young Indonesian players Imam Sodikin and Luluk Hadiyanto 12-
15, 15-8, 8-15.

Imam and Luluk will take on South Koreans Yung Sun-gyun and
Park Young-duk in the quarterfinals.

Antonius and Candra Wijaya will meet Chien Yu Hsun and Lin Wei
Shiang of Chinese Taipei, who defeated fourth seed Njoto Albertus
and Liu Kwok Wa of Hong Kong 15-8, 15-12.

Rexy Mainaky and Tony Gunawan will face third seeds Ma Che
Kong and Yau Kwon Yuen of Hong Kong.

Indonesia put seven pairs in the mixed doubles events and only
leave another ticket for South Koreans third seed Choi Min-ho and
Yim Kyung-jin who beat Lwin Aung and Khine Thanda Htay of Myanmar
15-2, 15-5.

Top seeds Wahyu Agung and Emma Ermawati were barely stretched
to crush Lee Moung-hun and Chung Jae-hee 15-2, 15-1. The
Indonesians will meet juniors Deni Setiawan and Rita Kristiane.

Second seeds Lin Wei Hsiang and Chen Li Chin of Chinese Taipei
lost 15-0, 8-15, 4-15 to Indonesians Imam Sodikin and Upi
Chrisnasari. Imam and Upi will now meet compatriots Santoso
Sugiharjo and Eny Widiowati.

Fourth seeds Bambang Supriyanto and Minarti Timur, who beat
Sri Lankan N. Karunaratne/Renu Chandrika 15-1, 15-3, will meet
Tony Gunawan/Etty Tantri, after defeating Park Young-duk/Kee Hyo-
jung of South Korea 15-2, 15-7. (nvn/yan)

Selected results

Men's singles: Wong Choon Hann (Mal) bt Anuj Gupta (Ind)
15-8, 15-13; Pullela Gopichand (Ind) bt Shon Seung-mo (Kor) 9-15,
15-5, 15-5; Chen Yu (Chn) bt Anupap Thiraratsalul (Tha) 16-17,
15-5, 15-9

Women's singles: Lee Kyung Won (Kor) bt H. Renu Chandrika
(Sri) 11,4, 11-0; Chindana Hartono (Ina) bt Maiko Naka (Jpn) 11-3,
11-3; Ellen Angelina (Ina) bt Koon Wai Chee (Hkg) 11-6, 5-11,
11-4; Xie Xingfan (Chn) bt Ling Wan Ting (Hkg), 11-2, 11-7

Women's doubles: Etty Tantri/Minarti Timur (Ina) bt Ngo Hai
Van/Lee Ngoc Nguyen Nhung (Vie) 15-5, 15-4; Lee Kyung Won/Chung
Jae Hae (Kor) bt Tsai Hui Min/Chen Li Chin (Tpe) 15-7, 15-8;
Deyana Lomban/Carmelita (Ina) bt Norhasikin Amin/Fong Chew Yen
(Mas) 15-3, 15-12; Lee Hyo Jung/Yim Kyung Jin (Kor) bt Khin
Thanda Htay/Khine Nyein Win (Mya) 15-1, 15-1