WORLD CUP: SUN JUN BREAKS THROUGH; SUSANTI WINS FIFTH

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS REPORT is presented by badminton world champions YANG YANG and ZHAO JIAN HUA and by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS **

August 24, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - China's young badminton star Sun Jun scored a breakthrough victory today at the finals of the World Cup in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta. Sun who had had disappointing losses due to injury in the men's singles finals of two major tournaments - the World Grand Prix Finals in December last year and the world badminton championships in early June this year - defeated Indonesian veteran Joko Suprianto 15-9 and 15-8 to bag the first major title of his young career.

Sun took the initiative early in the championship match as Suprianto often played sluggishly and without his usual crisp movement around the court. The young Chinese star grabbed the early lead in both games and controlled the hour-long match throughout.

Sun, known more as a "runner" who retrieves and returns every shot from his opponent, showed today that he also has a power game. He consistently unloaded powerful and steep smashes at Suprianto and often scored on shots to the surprised Indonesian's backhand side.

In women's singles, Susi Susanti of Indonesia defeated world champion Ye Zhaoying of China 11-8 and 11-5 to win her fifth World Cup title and to cement her reputation as the greatest women's singles player ever.

When the Susanti-Ye match began, it appeared as if it was going to be Ye's day. The Chinese world champion took an early 5-2 lead as Susanti played inconsistently. Susanti though found her game and climbed back into the match with patient rallying play. She closed in and then took a 6-5 lead herself. Ye pulled slightly ahead at 8-7 but Susanti caught up at 8-all.

The pressure of the tight end game was too much for the Chinese player as she made several unforced errors, allowing Susanti to take the first set 11-8.

In the second game, the two exchanged points until Susanti started to combine clearing rallies with sudden crosscourt dropshots. The shift in tactics enabled the Indonesian star to pull away from a 5-all score to a 9-5 lead.

Susanti changed tactics again as she tried to close out the match. She tried a power game, smashing at Ye but the Chinese player was able to thwart Susanti and blocked her smashes back.

Susanti then reverted to her patient style and finished the game 11-5.

In the men's doubles finals, an inspired Indonesian pair of Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky, the Olympic champions, demolished Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yung Sung of Korea in the first game 15-1. In the second set, Subagja and Mainaky held the early lead 6-3 but then started to take it easy. The letdown in their play enabled the Koreans to come back and take the game 15-10.

In the third game, the Indonesians put the pressure back on and whipped Lee and Yoo 15-3.

According to some Indonesian players, Subagja and Mainaky played really hard in the first and third games because they wanted to completely disprove comments from a Korean coach that they were on the way down.

The men's doubles finals also featured some controversy. With the score at 10-3 in the third game, Lee unloaded a smash towards the sidelines and a line judge called the shot out. Lee was incensed by the obvious bad call and started to argue with the umpire and the line judge. The tournament referee was called in and the line judge was replaced. However, because, unlike tennis, badminton rules do not allow the umpire to overrule a line call, the line judge's decision stood.

After the men's doubles final, the Korean players commented that Indonesian line judges often make bad calls, specially in matches involving Indonesian stars against players from other countries.

When asked about the comment from the Koreans, a Chinese player said that Korean line judges also make bad line calls when they play in Korea against Korean opponents.

In mixed doubles, Liu Yong and Ge Fei, the world champions from China, remained undefeated in individual competition. Liu and Ge beat Trikus Heryanto and Minarti Timur of Indonesia 12-15, 15-7 and 15-10.

In an all-China women's doubles finals, world champions Ge Fei and Gu Jun defeated world championships silver medalists Qin Yiyuan and Tang Yongshu 15-10, 9-15 and 15-9.

The three Chinese World Cup titles today to Indonesia's two championships confirms China's current standing as the best badminton-playing nation with badminton-crazy Indonesia playing an unaccustomed second-fiddle.

(jpcf/mig)