Susi remains world number two, IBF says

JAKARTA (JP): Olympic champion Susi Susanti will have to wait some months to regain her world number one tag, with the International Badminton Federation keeping her in second place in the latest rankings.

Susi, who recently won two successive tournaments in her fightback after a series of defeats in the World Championships in May, collected 1,735 points, just 25 points behind new world number one Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden.

Lim, who beat Susi in the All-England final but then lost to the same player in their last two semifinal meetings, ousted South Korean Bang Soo-hyun. Bang's ranking dropped to third after perching on top of the standings at the expense of Susi for just one month.

The rankings were allocated by the IBF on the basis of the shuttlers' performances in the first eight World Grand Prix series tournaments this year. The US$170,000 Indonesia Open was the eighth of the 19 events included in the grand prix series.

Trailing in fourth place was another South Korean, Ra Kyung- min, followed by Denmark's All-England finalist Camilla Martin. World champion Ye Zhaoying came in fifth.

In the men's division Indonesia dominated the standings, with world champion Hariyanto Arbi of Indonesia remaining on top of the list with 1,370. Compatriot Ardy Wiranata, who won his fifth Indonesia Open title on Sunday, regained his number two ranking with 305 points less than Hariyanto.

Taipei Masters champion Hermawan Susanto came third with a narrow margin over Olympic gold medalist Alan Budikusuma. All- England winner Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark trails well behind at seventh.

The IBF has decided to use the grand prix series as the qualifying tournaments for the 1996 Olympic Games badminton event. The race for points started in the Asia Cup in China early in May and will wind up in the All-England next year. (amd)

IBF rankings

Men's singles

1. Haryanto Arbi (Ina) 1370 points

2. Ardy Wiranata (Ina) 1065

3. Hermawan Susanto (Ina) 915

4. Alan Budikusuma (Ina) 870

5. Fung Permadi (Tpe) 770

6. Park Sung-woo (Kor) 710

7. P.H.-Larsen (Den) 685

8. Lee Kwang-jin (Kor) 660

9. Joko Suprianto (Ina) 635 10. Jens Olsen (Swe) 535

Women's singles

1. Lim Xiaoqing (Swe) 1760

2. Susi Susanti (Ina) 1735

3. Bang Soo-hyun (Kor) 1125

4. Ra Kyung-min (Kor) 780

5. Camilla Martin (Den) 770

6. Zhaoying Ye (Chn) 710

7. Kim Ji-hyun (Kor) 665

8. Mia Audina (Ina) 605

9. Yuliani Santosa (Ina) 475 10. Lee Joo-hyun (Kor) 470