WORLD CUP: WORLD DOUBLES CHAMPS ELIMINATED

**This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS and their Southern U.S.A. agents, SPORTSNET INTERNATIONAL (Email: jumpsmash@aol.com/ Tel:713-771-8905/Fax:713-771-4446)**

August 23, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Indonesians Chandra Wijaya and Budiarto Sigit, the world badminton men's doubles champions, were eliminated today from the World Cup competition being held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Wijaya and Sigit were defeated by the Korean duo of Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yung Sung , the second-rated pair in the world number, in a semifinal matchup.

The world champions had began the match with their trademark combination of speed, quickness and power. They easily and quickly took the first game from Lee and Yoo, 15-8. However, in the second game, Wijaya and Sigit began to commit many errors under pressure from the Koreans who also played a very quick style combined with jumpsmashing power. Lee and Yoo managed to reverse the outcome in the second, winning at 15-8.

After the five-minute rest period, the world champions seemed to have righted their game and were leading 8-4 at the change of ends. Lee and Yoo though had other ideas. They stepped up the tempo, surprising Wijaya and Sigit with their increased pace. The Koreans caught up to the now error-prone world champions at 10-10 and then grabbed the lead at 11-10 and 12-10.

Wijaya and Sigit managed to knot the match up at 12-all but the furious pace seemed to have taken its toll on the world champions. Lee and Yoo notched the next three points to win the game and the semifinal match 15-12.

In the other men's doubles semifinal, Olympic gold medalists Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia defeated Malaysians Lee Wan Wah and Choong Tan Fook 15-12 and 15-3.

In the men's singles semifinals, the veteran Joko Suprianto of Indonesia took the measure of his youthful compatriot Indra Wijaya 15-13 and 15-10, and Sun Jun of China whipped Ong Ewe Hock of Malaysia 15-11 and 15-1.

In the women's singles semifinals, world champion Ye Zhaoying of China defeated Indonesia's Mia Audina 11-4, 5-11 and 11-5, while world number two Susi Susanti of Indonesia overcame a 1-6 first game deficit against China's Gong Zhichao to post a 13-10 and 11-9 victory (a proposed rule change where the setting or tiebreak in case of a 10-all tie in women's singles and a 13-all score in the other events is a three-point affair is being tried at the World Cup - Editor).

Susanti who had not beaten Gong in their previous meetings was bedeviled at the start by Gong's usual tactics of multiple clears and reverse-slice drops. Down 1-6, the Indonesian star player finally began to read Gong's shots and climbed back into contention, countering Gong's play with lifts, tumbling net shots and drops. Gong though still retained the upper hand and reached game point at 10-8.

Susanti managed to pull even at 10-all and then beat a disheartened Gong 13-10.

In the second, it was all Susanti for a while as the Indonesian pulled away to a 9-0 lead before the young Chinese player mounted a comeback. Gong's efforts however fell short and Susanti won the game and the match 11-9.

In the women's doubles semifinals, the Chinese pairs of Ge Fei and Gu Jun and of Qin Yiyuan and Tang Yongshu guaranteed their country of at least one World Cup championship as both duos won their matches against Indonesian opponents.

World champions Ge Fei and Gu Jun beat archrivals Rosiana Zelin and Eliza once again 15-9 and 15-5. Qin and Tang defeated Indarti Isolina and Finarsih 15-4 and 15-9.

Ge Fei also gained the mixed doubles finals with partner Liu Yong. Liu and Ge, the world mixed doubles champions, were initially troubled by the lefthanded powerstrokes of Limpele Flandy, and the Chinese pair dropped the opening game to Flandy and partner Rosalina Riseu 12-15.

Liu and Ge solved Flandy's style in the second and third games with the world champions easily winning 15-7 and 15-2.

Indonesians Trikus Heryanto and MInarti Timur took the other mixed doubles semifinal, whipping teammates Imam Tohari and Ema Ermawati 15-4 and 15-3.

Tomorrow's final matches:

Women's Doubles - Ge Fei/Gu Jun (China) vs. Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu (China)
Women's Singles - Ye Zhaoying (China) vs. Susi Susanti (Indonesia)
Men's Singles - Sun Jun (China) vs. Joko Suprianto (Indonesia)
Mixed Doubles - Liu Yong/Ge Fei (China) vs. Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (Indonesia)
Men's Doubles - Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yung Sung (Korea) vs. Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (Indonesia)

(jpcf/mig)