RI's badminton star Susi loses to Chinese rival
RI's badminton star Susi loses to Chinese rival
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AFP): China caused a double upset at the world badminton championships here Friday when both Olympic champion Susi Susanti and world number-two Bang Soo-Hyun crashed out in the semifinals.
World number-six, Ye Zhaoying, created the first sensation by beating Indonesia's Susi 5-11, 11-8, 11-2. The teammate and 5/8 seed Han Jingna defeated South Korea's Bang 11-6, 11-4.
The presence in the men's semifinals between European and Asia is split as Indonesia's world number-one Hariyanto Arbi, South Korea's Park Sung-woo, and Denmark's Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen and Poul Erik Hoyer Larsen won through.
But the major shocks were in the women's event as China assured another gold medal. China had beaten Indonesia in the final of the Sudirman Cup, the world mixed team championships, on Sunday.
Ye, the 1995 Swedish Open winner, varied her shots and took advantage as Susi wilted in the final two sets.
Afterwards, the 1994 Asian champion said: "I managed to find weaknesses not just on her usual strong forehand, but all over the court.
"Susi was very strong in the first set, but then she changed her game and got worse. That made me confident."
In the last week, Ye has beaten Susi, world number two Bang Soo-hyun of South Korea and world number four Camilla Martin of Denmark.
In the men's event, Olympic bronze medalist Stuer-Lauridsen beat Malaysia's twice Commonwealth champion Rashid Sidek 15-10, 15-1.
Sidek, who beat second seed Ardy Wiranata of Indonesia on Thursday, was beaten by the Dane's metronomic-like consistency.
Park, who downed reigning Olympic champion Alan Budikusuma of Indonesia 18-15, 15-9, meets Stuer-Lauridsen in the semifinal.
Light work
World number one Hariyanto had few problems beating teammate and defending world champion Joko Suprianto 15-8, 15-7. Joko, who netted a backhand facing his third match point, conceded youth had won the day.
"He was much fitter than me," admitted the 28-year-old Joko on his 23-year-old opponent, "I think Arbi will go on to win the title," he added.
Hariyanto, the sole surviving Indonesian in the semifinals, set up an All-England final rerun against Hoyer Larsen.
Larsen won an epic battle against 1993 world silver medalist Hermawan Susanto 15-18, 15-12, 15-13. The All-England champion surged back from 9-3 down in the decider to win on his second match point when Hermawan hit the shuttle just wide.
The 29-year-old student fell on to his knees before applauding the many Danes in the crowd who had lifted him over the final points.
Mixed doubles top seeds Thomas Lund and Marlene Thomsen of Denmark saved a match point before beating Jan-Eric Antonsson and Astrid Crabo of Sweden 12-15, 17-14, 15-9 to reach the final.
Crabo netted a backhand on match point as the Swedes led 14-13 in the second set. Antonsson said afterwards: "That was the final. We were beaten by the champions."
Lund and Thomsen meet unseeded compatriots Jens Eriksen and Helene Kirkegaard for the title. Eriksen and Kirkegaard beat Asian champions Liu Jianjun and Ge Fei of China 15-5, 15-3.