Susi faces old foes at World Cup c'ship

JAKARTA (JP): Almost all of world's best shuttlers have set foot here for the US$180,000 World Cup badminton championships, with all eyes set on the thriller that awaits defending women's singles champion Susi Susanti.

World number two Bang Soo-hyun of South Korea has opted out of the invitational tournament, but world champion Ye Zhaoying of China and All-England title holder Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden are lining up to hand Susi another upset at home.

Unlike the men's singles, which will probably be controlled by the host players, the women's singles at the Sept. 13-17 tournament promises a lot of action before a possible final between Susi and Ye.

"I'm fully ready to win here," Lim said after a two-hour practice at the Senayan badminton hall yesterday. "I'm sensing a good time here after recovering from my injury," she added.

Lim, who leads the World Grand Prix in ranking points, twisted her right ankle during a work-out prior to the U.S. Open in Atlanta and was forced out of the tournament last month. "My leg is fine now," she smiled.

The third seed gave no signs of pain during yesterday's light practice. She displayed her classy court coverage and dynamic foot-work as well as her searing strokes.

Lim has made several appearances here but Susi always left her at bay. The China-born Swede claimed a rare win over her Indonesian rival in the All-England semifinals on her way to her historic triumph at the prestigious tournament in March.

"My earlier defeats don't matter to me. I enjoy each game I play," she said.

Lim is expected to clear her toughest Group C hurdle in the form of Han Jingna of China, before meeting with Susi in the semifinals.

Ye also expressed guarded confidence that she would deal Susi another big blow as she has done in four out of their nine matches. Ye last pushed Susi to the brink of destruction with two straight victories within one week at the World Badminton Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland in May.

The two have avoided meeting each other for the past four months.

"Susi is such a great player that it will be hard to beat her, but I'll try," Ye said upon her arrival on Sunday. If the draw goes as expected, the Chinese shuttler is tipped to meet Uber Cup heroine Mia Audina in the semifinals.

More players from Malaysia, England and Netherlands are scheduled to arrive today, before the tournament swings into full action at the Senayan indoor stadium tomorrow. (amd)