Taufik and Marlev fall in Taipei Open quarters
Taufik and Marlev fall in Taipei Open quarters
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia was shut out of the men's singles of
the US$150,000 Chinese Taipei Open after Taufik Hidayat and
Marlev Mainaky lost in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Taufik, the fifth seed in the top rated event, bowed out to
world number one Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark in a see-saw
contest 12-15, 15-17, while second seeded Marlev was upset by the
veteran Dane Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen 9-15, 12-15.
"Taufik could not maintain his concentration and control his
emotion at critical points. He started to make unforced errors
and he played hesitantly on those points," coach Mulyo Handoyo
said in a telephone interview.
Taufik, 18, trailed 4-12 in the first game before winning a
string of consecutive points to draw even. It was in vain as the
22-year-old Dane took the next three points for the game.
But the Indonesian took a 5-0 lead in the second game before
Gade Christensen scrambled back to lead 7-5. Taufik came back to
lead 11-8 before the Dane won five points in a row. The
Indonesian earned 14-13 but Gade Christensen sealed his win 17-
15.
Mulyo said Marlev was lulled into the rhythm of the 1996
Olympic gold medalist.
"Marlev should have played at the net and exploited his
leaping smashes instead of forcing drives to the Dane. But he
applied the wrong strategy and started to make many unforced
errors," he said.
In the first game, Hoyer-Larsen, 34, was untroubled in winning
15-9, but in the second game Marlev raced ahead 8-1. Hoyer-Larsen
equaled the score at 8-8 before Marlev rebounded to lead 12-8.
There were several exchanges of service before the Dane prevailed
15-12.
Indonesia has two pairs in the mixed doubles semifinals on
Saturday. Tri Kusheryanto and Minarti Timur gained an easy win
over Malaysia's Chow Choon Eng and Choor Hoi Yie 15-5, 15-6. They
will meet arch rivals Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen of Denmark,
who beat sixth seeded Lee Dong-soo and Lee Hyo-jung of South
Korea.
Bambang Suprianto and Zelin Resiana also claimed a semifinal
ticket after the Malaysian pairs of Pang Chen Chang and Liem Pek
Chia retired in the second game due to Pang's foot injury. The
Indonesians will meet another Danish duo, Jens Eriksen and Mette
Schjoldager.
Indonesia also is assured a semifinal ticket in the men's
doubles as top seeded Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan faced
compatriots Sigit Budiarto and Halim Heryanto later Friday
evening. (yan)