Susi Susanti leads Indonesia

Uber Cuppers into semifinals

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, with a dazzling Susi Susanti leading the charge, scored a 5-0 triumph over Sweden to advance to the semi-finals of the Uber Cup world women's team badminton championships at Senayan indoor stadium last night.

Before the home fans, who gave her a rousing welcome as she stepped onto the court, world champion Susi displayed ruthless efficiency in her 11-2, 11- 0 destruction of Catrine Bengtsson in the first singles match.

In the men's Thomas Cup, defending champion Malaysia moved a step closer to reaching the semifinals after thrashing Thailand 5-0, but favorite Denmark struggled against diarrhea only to lose 2-3 to dark-horse South Korea.

With these results, the race for the semifinal slots is still wide open in Group B, with Malaysia, Denmark and South Korea having the same chances to make it through the last four rounds.

Needless to say, the match was a heavily one-sided affair, with the high-flying Indonesian completely taking control of the match from the onset, scoring point after point with ease.

Susi has won every world major title, but has yet to win a Uber Cup winner's medal. She was unbeaten in the last Uber Cup finals in Kuala Lumpur two years ago, yet Indonesia bowed out to South Korea 1-4 in the semi-finals.

Despite having the world's top woman player, Indonesia has not progressed beyond the semi-finals it its three previous Uber Cup finals outings.

But never one to be daunted by the odds, Susi is confident that this time around Indonesia will take the Uber Cup.

"We have been training very hard for this year's finals. The last time Indonesia won the trophy was 22 years ago and we really want to win it this time," Susi said shortly after her comfortable victory over Bengtsson.

Inspired by Susi's great showing, former world junior champion Yuni Kartika turned in an equally impressive performance in the second singles match by making short work of Karolina Ericsson 11-1, 11-0 to give Indonesia a 2-0 lead.

Once again, it was a case of all give and no take, with Yuni packing too much firepower for the Swede who was completely outstroked, outfoxed and outwitted.

With the crowd urging her on, Yuni displayed an array of attacking strokes and soon raced to a 5-1 lead in the first set. She never looked back thereafter as she reeled off seven points in a row to clinch the set.

The second set followed much the same pattern as the first, with Yuni collecting point after point almost at will, leaving Ericsson completely bewildered.

The pair of Lili Tampi and Finarsih gave Indonesia an assailable 3-0 lead when they defeated Lim Xiaoqing and Christine Magnusson 18-14, 15-4

Both Indonesians were forced to go the limit in the first set.

The match moved back and forth several times with neither side showing clear superiority. Trailing 10-13, Chinese-born Xiaoqing and Magnusson clawed their way back to force a deuce, thanks mainly to left-handed Xiaoqing's searing cross court smashes and deceptive dropshots.

The Swedish pair led 14-13 before the Indonesian players struck a purple patch as they strung five points together to wrap up the set.

Contrast

In stark contrast to the first set, the second was a subdued affair, with Lili and Finarsih carving out an effortless 15-4 win in less than 15 minutes. Apparently running out of steam after the gruelling first set, Xiaoqing and Magnusson virtually offered mere token resistance as they went down with a whimper.

It was the Indonesian players' second win in six meetings with their Swedish counterparts.

Yuliani Santosa, the 1992 Asian Badminton Confederation champion, proved too fast for Kristin Nielsen who lost 11-4, 11- 2.

Indonesia completed the shutout when the rapidly improving second doubles pair of Eliza and Zelin Resiana dropped Maria Bengtsson and Karolina Ericsson, 15-6, 15-8.

In its first Uber Cup Group B outing on Wednesday Susi and company also routed Thailand 5-0.

Indonesia's last group match will be tomorrow when it tackles Denmark. Barring an unforeseen circumstance Indonesia will have little trouble beating the Danes who lost 2-3 to the Sweden in their opening matches.

In-form Rashid Sidek led Malaysia's victory, dispatching Sompol Kukasemkij 15-11, 15-7 in 45 minutes. The second match saw the pair of Cheah Soon Kit and Soo Beng Kiang fight tooth and nail against Thailand's Pramote Teerawiwatana and Sakrapee Thongsari, whom they defeated 17-14, 15-10.

Thomas Cup debutant Ong Ewe Hock brushed aside Teenarun Chiangta 15-9, 15-5 to give his team a winning lead.

Diarrhea was the main cause for the Danish shuttlers' poor performances against South Korea. The Danes were unable to come up with a much needed a win to make up for its 2-3 loss to Malaysia on Wednesday; the runs hopelessly slowed down the games of Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, Thomas Stuer Lauridsen, Henrik Svaar, Michael Soogard and Jim Laugesen.

Results

Thomas Cup

South Korea vs Denmark 2-1 (Korea first): Kim Hak-kyun bt Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen 15-9, 15-5; Lee Suk-ho/Kim Dong-moon lost to Thomas Lund/Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen 13-15, 17- 16, 12-15; Park Sung-woo bt Peter Espersen 15-10, 15-3; Yoo Yong- sung/Choi Ji-tae lost to Jon Holst Christensen/Michael Sogaard 9- 15, 10-15; Ahn Jae-chang bt Soren B. Nielsen 15-6, 13-15, 17-15.

Malaysia bt Thailand 4-0 (Malaysia first): Rashid Sidek bt Sompol Kukasemkij 15-11, 15-7; Ong Ewe Hock bt Teeranun Chiangta 15-9, 15-8; Cheah Soon Kit/Soo Beng Kiang bt Pramote Teerawiwatana/Sakrapee Thongsari 17-14, 15-10; Tan Kim Her/Yap Kim Hock bt Siripong Siripool/Khunakorn Sudhisodhi 15-4, 15-10; Foo Kok Keong bt Vacharapan Kumthong 15-5, 15-10.

Uber Cup

Denmark bt Thailand 5-0 (Denmark first): Camilla Martin bt Somharuethai Jaroensiri 11-3, 11-6; Pernille Nedergaard bt Pornsawan Plungwech 11-8, 11-1; Mette Pedersen bt Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn 7-11, 11-7, 12-9; Anne Mette Bille/Marlene Thomsen bt Somharuethai Jaroensiri/Piyatip Sansaniyakulvilai 15-8, 15-9; Lotte Olsen/Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen bt Pornsawan Plungwech/Plernta Booyarit 15-8, 15-2.

Indonesia bt Sweden 5-0 (Indonesia first): Susi Susanti bt Catrine Bengtsson 11-2, 11-0; Yuni Kartika bt Karolina Ericsson 11-1, 11-0; Yuliani Sentosa bt Kristin Nilsson 11-4, 11-2; Lili Tampi/Finarsih bt Lim Xiaoqing/Christine Magnusson 18-14, 15-4; Eliza/Zelin Resiana bt Kristin Nilsson/Karolina Ericsson 15-6, 15-8.