Susi leads Indonesia into Japan Open semifinals

Susi leads Indonesia into Japan Open semifinals

TOKYO (AFP): World number one Susi Susanti showed no ill- effects going on to beat Camilla Martin and storm into the semifinals of the Japan Open badminton championships yesterday.

Indonesia strongly dominated the men's single event after its only remaining challenger Jeroen van Dijk of the Netherlands was edged out by defending champion Ardy Wiranata 5-15, 11-15.

The first Olympic champion from Indonesia got off to a slow start to beat Kim Ji-hyun of South Korea 11-8, 5-11, 12-9 earlier in the day but went on to win her second match of the day 11-6, 11-4 against the Dane in the quarterfinals.

"I lacked concentration in the first match, because it was shortly after I got up in the morning. But I felt much better in the second match," said the 23-year-old world champion.

Olympic silver medalist Bang Soo-hyun of South Korea, second seed, and joint third seeds Ye Zhaoying of China and European champion Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden clinched the remaining three places in the semifinals.

Bang, losing finalist to Susi in Seoul last weekend, had to steady herself in the decider to beat China's Han Jingna 7-11, 12-11, 11-1, while Ye also needed to recover from a game down to beat South Korea's Ra Kyung-min 6-11, 11-6, 11-9.

Lim rallied to an 11-4, 11-9 victory over Indonesia's Uber Cup heroine Mia Audina to set up a semifinal lineup against Bang today.

Susi was never in trouble against Martin, continuing her match-winning streak against European opponents since she lost to Helen Troke of England in 1988.

"I'm not especially strong against European players. Even against Asian players, it was in 1993 that Ye beat me at the Indonesian Open final before Hisako Mizui beat me at the Asian Games (in October last year).

"But I have to confess that I can beat European players easier, because, compared with Asian players, they lose concentration when I take a lead," she added.

In the men's semifinals today, Ardy will take on current All- England champion Hariyanto Arbi, the winner over Hermawan Susanto 11-15, 15-5, 15-11.

In other quarterfinals, world champion Joko Suprianto outgunned Fung Permadi 15-3, 15-9, while Alan Budikusuma, who won the Barcelona Olympics with his fiancee Susi, kept a hope of another 'golden double' beating Lioe Tiong Ping 11-15, 18-17, 15- 12.