Jaya Raya shuttlers steal Ardath Cup

JAKARTA (JP): The mixed doubles team of Toni Gunawan and Indarti Issolina played a decisive role in Jakarta's Jaya Raya's victory in the Ardath Cup badminton club championships in Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Saturday.

The unfancied pair pulled off an upset 3-15, 15-11, 15-9 win over the seasoned team of Rexy Mainaki and Ricky Subagja, the top seeds, from Bimantara Tangkas in an absorbing, pulsating final. Bimantara is also from Jakarta.

Rexy and Ricky won the men's doubles Olympic gold medal in Atlanta.

Jaya Raya beat Bimantara 3-2 in the championships.

In the first of the best-of-five matches, Bimantara's Elyza and Nonong defeated Finarshih and Indarti Issolina from Jaya Raya, 1-9, 17-14, in the women's doubles.

Jaya Raya took a 2-1 lead when the untested men's doubles team of Bambang S. and Toni Gunawan chalked up a stunning win over Atlanta Olympic gold medalist Ricky Subagja and Ade Sutisna.

The most crowd-pleasing match came in the men's singles event between Bimantara's Hendrawan and Nunung Subandoro.

The second set of the match was a see-saw, ding-dong affair with the two shuttlers working flat out to outfox and outwit each other in a war of attrition that had most spectators on their feet.

Hendrawan strolled to a relatively easy 15-10 win in the first set. But found himself in trouble in the second set when Nunung, who played like man entranced, dug deep into his reserves by quickly getting to a 14-6 match point.

But a composed Hendrawan slowly but surely fought back. He reeled off eight points in a row, courtesy of his cross-court smashes executed with deadly precision and a string of deceptive dropshots to tie the score at 1-14, forcing a deuce.

Nerves clearly got the better of a demoralized fast-tiring Nunung who literally threw in the towel, committing three unforced errors by driving the shuttle into the net allowing Hendrawan to wrap up the set and the match.

Hendrawan attributed his come-from-behind victory to his patience, composure and never-say-day fighting spirit.

"I sensed that Nunung was extremely exhausted and nervous when under pressure, especially when I clawed my way back to level the score at 14-14. All he could offer in the deuce was mere token resistance as he was running out of steam. Lady Luck deserted him, so to say. She smiled on me," Hendrawan said with a smile. (bas)