RI junior shuttlers still hope for clean sweep at Milo open

RI junior shuttlers still hope for clean sweep at Milo open

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Medan, North Sumatra

Indonesia still stands a chance of making a clean sweep of all
five titles up for grabs in the US$11,000 Milo Junior Indonesia
Open 2004 championships after the home teenagers advanced to the
semifinals here on Friday.

China was deprived of the mixed doubles title after having all
its contenders lose in the quarterfinals, while South Korea was
denied a victory in the girls' singles.

Indonesian boys' single Tommy Sugiarto of Pelita Top One club
will lead the hosts in the semifinals on Saturday when he meets
fellow ninth seed Achmad Rivai of Jayaraya Jakarta club, thus
ensuring a place in the boys' singles final for Indonesia.

Tommy defeated Ali Rasmara of Jayaraya 15-4, 15-3 in Friday's
quarterfinals, while Achmad recovered from a game down to beat
fifth seed Haryo Putro Wisnu of Djarum Kudus 4-15, 15-2, 15-10.

The other semifinals will feature China's top seed Gong Wei
Jie, who thrashed ninth seeded Indonesian S. Kesuma of the
Suryanaga Gudang Garam Kediri club 15-13, 15-0 against Lee Yong
Dae of Korea, a 17-14, 15-4 winner over compatriot Hong Ji Hoon.

Tommy, who is now a step closer to meeting his rival Gong,
said he was not preoccupied with the prospect. He said instead
that he would concentrate on winning his semifinal match against
Achmad.

"Let me beat my opponents one by one," he told The Jakarta
Post after the match.

"However, I think Gong has weaknesses in returns near the net,
plus he is also still suffering a thigh injury."

Indonesia also has one girls' shuttler in the semifinals,
fifth seed Christina Maria Elfira of Djarum Kudus, who defeated
unseeded Korean Lee Hyun Jin 11-4, 11-7 in the quarterfinals. But
she will meet China's top seed Lu Lan, who sent home ninth seeded
Singaporean Xing Aiying 11-1, 11-2.

Two other Chinese shuttlers, Wang Yihan and Wang Lin, will
meet each other in another semifinals match, thus securing a
berth for China in the girls' single final.

Wang Yihan won her match against Indonesia's third seed
Fransisca Ratnasari S 11-8, 11-6, while Wang Lin edged out second
seeded Korean Ha Jeung Un 11-4, 11-2.

"I tried to attack Wang, but my balls were not too sharp
today. When I tried to sharpen my shots, they'd hit the net or I
hit too wide. My opponent played better," she said.

In mixed doubles, Indonesia still has two pairs -- Muhammad
Rizal/Greysia Polii and Septano Bona/Meidiyani in the semifinals.

In the quarterfinals, second seed Rizal/Greysia defeated
unseeded Chinese He Hanbin/Pan Pan 15-8, 15-2, while
Septano/Meidiyani of Jayaraya thrashed Korean Hoong Si Hoon/Hong
Soo Jung 15-12, 15-5.

The other semifinalists were Korea's top seed Lee Yong
Dae/Kang Hae Won, who beat Chinese Cao Liu/Ding Jiao 15-4, 15-7,
and Korean double Jung Jung Young/Oh Seul Ki, who rallied to beat
Chinese pair Shen Ye/Feng Chen 13-15, 17-16, 15-11.

Septano/Meidiyani will try to beat Lee/Kang in the semifinals
to create an Indonesian final against Rizal/Greysia, who will
have to beat Jung/Oh in the semifinal match.

In the girls' doubles, Indonesia's second seed Greysia
Polii/Heni Budiman will lead the host nation in the semifinals to
meet Chinese double Ding Jiao/Zhao Yunlei.

Greysia/Heni gave no chance to Malaysian Julia Wong/Chong Sook
Chin and beat them 15-11, 15-9 on Friday while Ding/Zhao thrashed
Singaporean pair Sari Shinta Mulia/Xing Aiying 15-3, 15-1.

China's top seed Pan Pan/Feng Chen will meet Korean Kim Mi
Young/Lee Hyun Jin in the other semifinal match.

Pan/Feng fought hard against Indonesian double Zebadiah
Pia/Krishinda Nintya of Jayaraya to win the match 15-5, 10-15,
17-15. Kim/Lee also needed three sets to beat Chinese Taipei pair
Lui Hsiao Jo/Liu Chia Chi 7-15, 15-5, 15-4.

In the doubles, only one of four Indonesian doubles advanced
to the semifinals. Second seed Putra Aditya/I Made Agung defeated
Goh Ying Jing/Chin Tze Seong of Malaysia 15-4, 15-12.

They will meet Chinese double Shen Ye/He Hanbin, who beat
local double Ali Rasmara/Achmad Rivai 15-12, 15-10 in
quarterfinals.

In another quarterfinals match, top seeded Korean Jung Jung
Young/Lee Young Dae thrashed local Harjanggi Andhika/M. Ahsan
15-3, 15-8. In the semifinals, they will meet Chinese pair Li
Rui/Cao Liu, who beat Indonesian Lingga/Antok 15-11, 15-10 in the
quarterfinals.