WORLD CUP: DONG AND SUSI TAKE SINGLES TITLES
by Martin Coe and Mike Grossman (from reports filed by J. Chang and Joppy Fontanilla)

December 15, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - China and Indonesia split the two China-versus-Indonesia championship matches today at the Sanyo World Cup of badminton at the Senayan stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia. Dong Jiong of China won the men's singles finals over Jeffer Rosobin 15-5 and 15-8 while Indonesian Susi Susanti took the women's singles title with an 11-7 and 11-4 victory over Wang Chen.

The other finals were contested by players of the same country and, except for the second game in the women's doubles and the first game in the mixed doubles, were mostly uneventful.

Denny Kantono and Antonius of Indonesia beat Rexy Mainaky and temporary partner Sigit in the men's doubles 15-8 and 15-2, Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China beat Qin Yiyuan and Tang Yongshu in the women's doubles 15-6 and 15-12, while Minarti Timur and temporary partner Sandiarto of Indonesia beat Limpele Flandy and Rosalina Riseu 17-14 and 15-7.

In the men's singles finals, Dong Jiong dominated the less-experienced Jeffer Rosobin. Dong's jumping strokes which turn into smashes, drops or clears at the last second were working well specially in the first game with Rosobin having problems anticipating what shot was going to be played and where.

Dong's net shots were also quite deceptive and effective. On the other hand, the Indonesian player played too tentatively and cautiously. He tried to draw Dong into clearing rallies but Dong would quickly cut that tactic short with his leaping strokes.

Dong took the first game easily 15-5 and raced to an 8-0 lead in the second. Rosobin, perhaps not wanting to end the finals with a love game, changed his tactics and upped his tempo, mixing crosscourt shots with sudden drops. The Indonesian tallied some markers, but could not sustain the pace.

Dong's early lead was also too much to overcome and he won the second 15-8.

In the women's singles final between Susanti and Wang, Susanti opened up very tentatively. In the first game, Wang was the aggressor and got ahead 6-4 on crosscourt smashes. Susanti came back mainly on errors by Wang and won the first 11-7.

In the second game, after conferring with her coach during the 90-second break, Susanti came out with more aggressive play, hitting down more and clearing less. Her defense against Wang's smash was also better as she managed to block most of them back into Wang's rearcourt.

Wang was unable to cope with the change in Susanti's tactics and Susanti was an easy second game winner at 11-4.

(Editor's Note - Two badminton rule changes were being tried at the Sanyo World Cup: a 90-second break between the first and second games where sideline coaching is allowed, and setting only at 14-all in men's singles and all doubles matches and 10-all in women's singles).