TOP CHINESE STARS GEAR UP FOR CHINA OPEN
Susi Susanti Entered in Women's Doubles
by Mike Grossman

October 29, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - All the top Chinese badminton players are primed and ready for the China Open, their country's major international badminton event this year.

The top players, most of whom have been taking a break from international competition, are all entered in the tourney being held in Guangdong this week.

In men's singles, China's Olympic silver medalist Dong Jiong goes back into Grand Prix action and is seeded number one. Compatriot Sun Jun, who notched 2 Grand Prix tournament titles recently, is seeded second.

The 3-4 seeds are Chen Gang of China and Fung Permadi of Chinese-Taipei.

The 5-8 seeds are Luo Yigang (China), Indra Wijaya (Indonesia), Hu Zhilan (China), and Kim Hak Kyun (Korea).

9-16 seeds include Salim (Indonesia), Hwang Sun Ho (Korea), Joris van Soerland (Netherlands), Kevin Han (USA), Hannes Fuchs (Austria), Dwi Aryanto (Indonesia), and Apichai Thiraratsakul (Thailand).

None of the top Indonesian, Malaysian and Danish men's singles players are entered.

In women's singles, world champion Ye Zhaoying of China also gets back into international competition after a disappointing performance at the Atlanta Olympics. Ye is seeded number one.

Holding second-seed is Camilla Martin of Denmark.

3-4 seeds are Yao Yan and Wang Chen of China. 5-8 seeds are Meiluwati of Indonesia, Gong Zhichao, Zhang Ning and Han Jingna, all three from China.

Olympic gold medalist Bang Soo Hyun continues to be absent from the world stage while top Indonesians Susi Susanti and Mia Audina are not entered in the women's singles draw.

Top Korean players Kim Ji Hyun, Lee Joo Hyun and Ra Kyung Min are entered but are not seeded. Yao Jie of China, the German Open champion, is also unseeded.

In men's doubles, Olympic gold medalists Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia also spring back into action. They are seeded number one.

China's top doubles pair of Huang Zhanzhong and Jiang Xin also get back into competition and are seeded second.

Koreans Ha Tae Kwon and Kang Kyung Jin are 3-4 seeds as are the Chinese duo of Tao Xiaoqiang and Ge Cheng.

5-8 seeds are Khunakorn Sudhisodhi and Siripong Siripool (Thailand), Michael Sogaard and Henrik Svarrer (Denmark), Zhang Wei and Liu Yong (China), and the pair of Lee Wan Wah and Choong Tan Fook (Malaysia).

Olympic mixed doubles champion Kim Dong Moon of Korea is entered in the men's doubles draw with compatriot Yoo Yong Sung.

U.S. Open champions Chandra Wijaya and Sigit from Indonesia are also entered but are not seeded. Fellow Indonesian Bambang Suprianto, who together with the now-retired Rudy Gunawan formed one of the top men's doubles combination in the world, is entered with Dicky Purwotsugiono.

In women's doubles, the Olympic champions Ge Fei and Gu Jun from China return to action and are seeded number one.

Danes Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen have made the trip to Guangdong and are seeded second.

Olympic bronze medalists Tang Yongshu and Peng Xingyong of China are 3-4 seeds together with Liu Yufang and Sun Jian, also from China.

5-8 seeds are Liu Lu and Qiang Hong (China), Thitikan Duangsiri and Pornsawan Plungwech (Thailand), Gao Qian and Wang Li (China), and Peng Xingyong and Zhang Jin (China).

A unusual entry in the women's doubles draw that has many observers wondering is top singles player Susi Susanti of Indonesia who is partnering doubles specialist Finarsih. Susanti is not entered in the singles competition.

Olympic silver medalists Gil Young Ah and Jang Hye Ock from Kores continue to be absent from world competition.

In mixed doubles, the Danish tandem of Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen head the list of competitors. Seeded behind them is the Chinese pair of Chen Xingdong and Peng Xingyong.

Seeded 3-4 are the English-Danish team of Chris Hunt and Helene Kirkegaard and the Indonesian duo of Tohari Imawan and Erma Ermawan.

5-8 seeds are Tao Xiaoqiang and Gu Jun (China), Yang Ming and Zhang Jin (China), and Zhang Wei and Qian Hong (China).

Also seeded 5-8 is Liu Jianjun, half of the Olympic mixed doubles bronze medal-winning pair from China and new partner Wang Xiaoyuan. Sun Man, the other half of the bronze medalists, is not entered in the tourney.

Olympic mixed doubles gold medalist Kim Dong Moon and silver medalist Ra Kyung Min are competing at the China Open but have not joined forces in the mixed doubles. Kim is playing in the men's doubles event while Ra is entered in the women's singles.