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.