Susi wins first match in world c'ship title defense

Susi wins first match in world c'ship title defense

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AFP): Defending champion and top seed
Susi Susanti won her first women's singles match here easily
yesterday as the world badminton championships moved into its
second week.

The 24-year-old world and Olympic champion cruised into the
third round with an 11-2, 11-0 win over Debra O'Connor of
Trinidad and Tobago.

Susi's balletic movement about court and effortless stroke
making was too much for O'Connor who could make no impact on the
match.

Susanti's first big test is set for tomorrow evening in the
fifth round against 9/16 seed Yao Yan of China.

Then she is scheduled to meet South Korea's 5/8 seed Ra Kyung
Min in the quarterfinal, and All-England runner-up Camilla Martin
of Denmark in the semifinal.

However Indonesian team manager Iwan Setiawan was not
optimistic about her chances, and said: "The individuals will be
very hard for Susi."

Susi had only lost once in 1995 till the Sudirman Cup -- to
Sweden's China-born Lim Xiaoqing in the All-England semifinals in
March.

But Susi lost to both Asian Games champion Bang Soo-hyun of
South Korea and China's world number six Ye Zhaoying in the
Sudirman Cup. China beat Indonesia 3-1 in Sunday's final.

"She will need to improve if she wants to retain here title,"
added Iwan, who could not explain her poor form over the last few
days.

Though Susi's defense was as good as ever, Iwan said she will
have to attack more and be more positive.

Iwan further believed Indonesia's expected dominance of the
individual events overall were under threat.

Hariyanto Arbi and Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky are top seeded
in the men's singles and men's doubles -- but Iwan only predicted
the men's doubles top seeds as near certainties for gold for his
country.

The losses of Hariyanto to China's Sun Jun, plus the defeat of
second seed Ardy B Wiranata to Denmark's Peter Rasmussen in the
Sudirman Cup, has cast doubt on their title credentials.

On Hariyanto's loss, Iwan added: "Hariyanto was nervous. That
was probably because he was under pressure as we had lost the
first two matches of the final. He will have to get a lot better
to have a chance in the singles."