Local shuttlers dominate Indonesian Open c'ship
Local shuttlers dominate Indonesian Open c'ship
SURAKARTA, Central Java (AFP): The home team's singles shuttlers yesterday cleared the way for an all-Indonesian final in the Indonesian Open badminton championship by making short work of their South Korean and Malaysian opponents.
In the women's singles, first seed and the 1992 Olympic gold medalist Susi Susanti had an easy time trashing South Korea's Lee Joo-hyun in straight sets 11-1, 11-2 that lasted barely 30 minutes.
The only non-Indonesian quarterfinalists in the men's singles, Malaysia's young upstart Yong Hock Kim, had to bow out to the fast play of Indonesia's Marleve Mainaky who clinched the game 15-5, 15-5.
"I feel, I played really slow today ... I am still exhausted from yesterday's match," Yong said after his defeat, referring to his grueling match against Danish popular shuttler Peter Gade Christensen in the quarterfinals.
Marleve will face four times Indonesia Open winner and first seeded Ardy B. Wiranata in the finals after the later defeated fellow Indonesian Hariyanto Arbi 15-4, 15-5.
"It was not really an easy game either although I have played against her several times in the past and always won," Susi said after the brief match against Lee.
Susanti appeared unbeatable in the absence of Chinese players who pulled out of the championship before it opened following visa problems.
In today's finals, Susi will face compatriot Meiluawati, who defeated junior Ellen Engelina 12-10, 11-4.
In the men's doubles, South Korea's energetic duo Yoo Young- Sung and Lee Dong-soo had a grueling match against the 1997 Malaysia Open winners Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia.
The host team's fast-paced aggressive play in the first set was met by a rock-strong defense from their opponents who led most of the time and finally took the set 15-13. A slower, more careful, second set ended in the host team's pocket at 15-2.
Yoo and the left-handed Lee came back with a vengeance in the decider, catching up to the Indonesians's lead to force a deuce at 14-14 and applying constant fast pressure that led to repeated errors from Subagja. The Korean then scored three consecutive points to win the decider.
They will face Indonesia's top doubles pair, Sigit Budiarto and Candra Wijaya in the finals. Candra/Sigit, winner of the World Championship in May, defeated their unseeded compatriots Antonius Budi Arianto and Denny Kantono 15-3, 17-15.
In the women's doubles, Indonesia's defending champion Zelin Resiana and Eliza trounced Denmark's Marlene Thomson and Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen 15-11, 15-8 to face fellow Indonesians Finarsih and Minarti Timur in the finals.
Finarsih and Minarti effortlessly beat Japan's hope Yoshiko Iwata and Haruko Matsuda 15-8, 15-9.
The all-Indonesian finals in the mixed doubles will pit Bambang Suprianto and Risyeu Rosalina against Tri Kusherjanto and Minarti Timur.
Bambang/Risyeu defeated teammates Sandiarto/Finarsih 15-5, 18- 13 while Tri/Minarti defeated juniors Imam Tohari/Emma Ermawati 15-6, 15-8.