Susi, Ricky and Rexy fall, Arbi through at All England
Susi, Ricky and Rexy fall, Arbi through at All England
LONDON (Reuter): Susi Susanti bowed out, possibly for the last time, at the All-England Championships on Thursday, a tournament she had virtually made her own in the early 1990s.
The four-time All-England winner and ex-World and Olympic champion found second-seeded Gong Zhichao of China too strong as she lost the quarterfinal 11-4 11-7.
Susi, 26, is seeded only joint fifth this year and her days at top-level international badminton may be numbered.
But she said after Thursday's defeat: "I still want to go on for a couple of years, as long as my fitness holds."
Susi married her long time sweetheart Alan Budikusuma, also of Indonesia, last month. The pair made headlines around the world in 1992 when, as an engaged couple, they won the Olympic singles titles in Barcelona.
Susi first won the All-England title in 1990 and followed up with further successes in 1991, 1993 and 1994.
But on Thursday her elegant game was no match for the determined Gong who at the age of 19 looks a fair bet to take the title.
In yesterday's (early this morning Western Indonesian Time) semifinals she was scheduled to meet unseeded South Korean Ra Kyung-min who ousted joint third-seeded Camilla Martin of Denmark in a 62-minute tussle 11-7 11-12 11-6.
The other semifinal will be between China's world champion Ye Zhaoying and unseeded compatriot Dai Yun, the woman who on Wednesday eliminated top seed Mia Audina of Indonesia.
Dai was forced to battle for 54 minutes before overcoming compatriot and joint fifth-seeded Zhang Ning 5-11 12-11 11-8.
And to add salt to the wound, world men's double number one pair Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia were beaten by Danish top seeds John Holst-Christiansen and Michael Sogaard 7-15 11-15.
"They play monotonously but their defense was so solid that we could not break. We, on the other were forced for making numerous unforced errors," Rexy said.
Arbi through
In the men's singles, world champion and former All-England title holder Hariyanto Arbi reached the semifinals with a three- set victory over unseeded Chinese Luo Yigang.
Arbi battled his way into the semifinals Thursday with an 8-15 15-9 15-6 victory over unseeded Yigang.
Arbi, who has been injured and slipped down the rankings, is seeded only joint ninth this year despite winning the title twice, in 1993 and 1994.
After disposing of second-seeded Rashid Sidek of Malaysia on Wednesday in a display somewhere near his best, Arbi had to struggle Thursday against an opponent who earlier in the week beat Denmark's Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen, a joint fifth seed.
Prone to error in opening games, Arbi eventually recovered to master Luo and claim a semifinal slot.
He will be joined in Friday's action by the Atlanta Olympics silver medalist Dong Jiong of China who overcame promising Dane Peter Rasmussen 15-12 15-8.
The Chinese look like having a good championship. They are already assured a place in the women's final after world champion Ye Zhaoying and unseeded Dai Yun both won quarterfinal matches to set up a meeting Friday.
Ye was near her best beating South Korea's Kim Ji-hyun 11-7 11-1.
A final against Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen on Saturday seems to be on the cards.
There was something for the locals to cheer when English couple Chris Hunt and Donna Kellogg reached the semifinals of the mixed doubles, beating the joint fifth seeds from Russia Nickoial Zuev and Marina Yakusheva in straight games.
The win was all the more remarkable as Hunt's breakfast companion, a stranger, had collapsed and died during the meal. Hunt was clearly unsettled during the day but recovered in time to record the victory.