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.