RI shuttlers suffer defeat in All England
RI shuttlers suffer defeat in All England
BIRMINGHAM, England (Agencies): Indonesia's badminton woe took its toll at the All England championships here as its four stars were dumped out of the title race yesterday.
Olympic champion Alan Budikusuma may lose his chance able to defend his title in Atlanta in July after his shock 8-15, 18-17, 15-13 third-round defeat to former compatriot Fung Permadi
Alan, seeded four, became the third big name in two days to be make an early exit, following the departure on Wednesday of Indonesian compatriot and top seed Joko Suprianto and the former world silver medalist Hermawan Susanto,
Joko, who has been in outstanding form recently but has never won the title here, produced an uncharacteristically limp performance in a 15-11, 15-2 defeat to little known Chinese Lin Liwen. Seventh seeded Indonesian Hermawan Susanto was beaten 15- 11, 15-7 by teenaged Dane Peter Gade Christensen.
Another Indonesian star to go out was the fifth-seeded 17-year-old Mia Audina, who led by a game and 1O-9 before going down O-11, 12-1O, 11-1 to the little-known Chinese player Dai Yun.
Mia, good enough to beat the Chinese world champion Ye Zhaoying to reach the final of the Hongkong Open in November, could not last the pace against her surprisingly quick and durable opponent. Mia was playing her first tournament after a three-month layoff through injury.
Alan, the fourth seed, crashed to Fung, now of Taipei, who spent almost the whole match trailing before sneaking home to win.
Fung was quick in defense, deft with his disguised flicks and calm in temperament, saving two match points in the second game, and coming from 8-11 down in the deciding game to upset the seedings.
It means that if Alan's compatriot Ardy Wiranata, the 1992 All-England Champion, were to win this tournament again, Alan would slip behind him in the world rankings and fail to qualify for the Olympics.
Ardy won in straight games against the South Korean Kim Hak- kyun and next has a meeting with the second seeded title holder from Denmark, Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, a match in which he is well capable of upsetting the seedings.
Hoyer-Larsen beat Indonesia's Hendrawan, the 14th seed, 18-17, 15-12 but his Danish compatriot Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen found himself in a tough three-game affair with number eight seed Rashid Sidek.
The experienced Malaysian went through to the last eight with a 15-3, 9-15, 15-9 victory.
Alan's loss, due partly to a strange lack of assertiveness at the vital moments, could therefore cost him dear, although he never played badly.
"I just made mistakes when it mattered. It was my confidence which let me down," the Olympic champion said.
Third seed and reigning world champion Hariyanto Arbi and women's singles second seed Susi Susanti saved the day for Indonesia.
Hariyanto, two-times champion in 1993 and 1994, labored before easing past home favorite Darren Hall 15-10, 15-10. Susi moved closer a possible third final match-up against arch-rival Ye Zhaoying of China, by crushing Matte Sorensen of Denmark 11-4, 11-5.
Top seed Ye, seeking a first title here, rallied to beat another Dane 12-9, 11-7 for a quarterfinal berth.