SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES: ONG BURSTS INDONESIAN MONOPOLY

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS REPORT is presented by badminton world champions YANG YANG (1987 and 1989) and ZHAO JIAN HUA (1991) and by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS **

October 17, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Malaysian Ong Ewe Hock today burst host Indonesia's monopoly on the places in the final matches of the individual badminton championships at the 19th SouthEast Asian Games being held in Jakarta when he defeated the 1993 world champion from Indonesia Joko Suprianto in the semifinals of the men's singles event and gained the right to play in the finals tomorrow. Ong was the only non-Indonesian to win a semifinal match today.

Suprianto held an early advantage in the opening game of his match with Ong and led 8-5. Ong though caught up and seized the lead 9-8. The Malaysian managed to pull to an 11-8 advantage before Suprianto was able to stop his run.

The veteran Indonesian played with intensity and took the game into deuce at 13-all. In the five-point setting, both semifinalists played with increased pace and power. Joko took the lead 1-0 and 2-0 but, at this juncture, Ong stopped the Indonesian and tallied the next five points to win the tiebreak 5-2 and the game 18-15.

In the second game, a determined Suprianto raced to a 4-0 lead. Ong tried to catch up but Joko maintained his advantage. Behind at 6-11, Ong raised his game while Suprianto began to tire. Ong caught up to Joko 11-11 and then went past the Indonesian with a flurry of points to win at 15-11.

In tomorrow's men's singles championship match, Ong will face Indonesia's Heryanto Arbi, who beat Yong Hock Kin of Malaysia 15-9 and 15-11.

In the women's singles semifinals, Indonesians Mia Audina and Meiluawati both came through to guarantee the hosts a gold medal. Audina squeezed a three-game victory over an unexpectedly tough Pornsawan Plungwech of Thailand with the outcome only being decided in a third-game tiebreak.

Plungwech surprised Audina in the opening game 11-6. The Indonesian recovered to win the second 11-7. The decider was a cliffhanger with Audina squeezing thru to the finals with a 12-10 score.

Meiluawati trounced Singapore's Zarinah Abdullah in her semifinal, 11-5 and 11-0.

In the men's doubles semifinals, top-seeds Chandra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto of Indonesia, the current world champions, whipped Khunakorn Sudhisodhi and Kitipon Kitikul of Thailand 15-2 and 15-5. Second-seeds Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky, also from Indonesia, had a tougher time against the experienced Thai pair of Pramote Teerawiwatana and Siripong Siripol but prevailed 15-4, 9-15 and 15-12.

In the women's doubles event, Indonesians Eliza Nathanael and Resiana Zelin defeated Winnie Lim and Kennie Asuncion of the Philippines 15-10 and 15-3 in their semifinal match. Indarti Isolina and Denyana Lomban, another Indonesian pair, walloped Thailand's Somharuthai Jaroensiri and Saralee Thoongtongkam 15-3 and 15-4 in the other women's doubles semifinal.

Trikus Heryanto and Minarti Timur of Indonesia beat Malaysians Chew Choon Eng and Ang Li Peng in one of the mixed doubles semifinals 15-11 and 15-12. In the other semifinal, Chandra Wijaya and Eliza Nathanael of Indonesia defeated the Malaysian pairing of Cheah Soon Kit and Norashikin Amin 15-7 and 15-2.

(jfontanilla/migrossman)