GRAND PRIX FINALS: DONG, STUER STAY IN CONTENTION
Late Day 1 and Early Day 2 Results
by Mike Grossman (from reports filed by J. 'D.Shuttlenws2' Chang and YANG YANG Badminton Equipment)

December 5, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - Olympic men's singles silver medalist Dong Jiong from China kept his hopes for a badminton Grand Prix Finals title alive today by defeating Ong Ewe Hock of Malaysia in an early second day match at the Juwana Mandala Stadium in Denpasar, Bali in Indonesia.

Dong, who had been trounced yesterday by Indonesian up-and-comer Indra Wijaya in the Group B opener of the round-robin first stage, was in much better form today. He beat Ong in the first game 15-9 and found the staying power in the second game to outlast a determined Ong, 17-14.

Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen, the 6-foot 5-inch singles player from Denmark who gives the shorter Asian players fits with his long reach and ability to produce sharply-angled shots with his height, also bounced back from a first-day defeat at the hands of Ong. Stuer defeated Wijaya 15-9 and 15-11 to remain in the hunt in Group B.

With Dong and Stuer winning today, the standings in men's singles Group B are all knotted up with Dong, Stuer, Ong and Wijaya having one win and one loss apiece. Tomorrow's matches between Dong and Stuer and between Ong and Wijaya will be crucial with each player trying to win and also hoping that the player who beat him earlier loses.

If both Dong and Ong win, Dong gains a spot in the semis. If Stuer and Wijaya win, Stuer becomes the semifinalist from Group B. If Ong and Stuer win, Ong gets in. If Dong and Wijaya win, Wijaya will get to play in the semifinals.

In the mixed doubles event, the tournament committee announced a late call up for Imam Tohari and Ema Ermawati of Indonesia as substitutes for the Chinese pair of Chen Xingdong and Peng Xingyong who are unable to play. Tohari and Ermawati will play in Group A which includes Kusheryanto and Timur, Hunt and Kirkegaard, and Stavngaard and Jorgensen.

Some late results from yesterday's matches:

Men's Singles
Group C
Sun Jun - China beat Hermawan Susanto - Indonesia 15-13, 18-14

Women's Singles
Group D
Han Jingna - China versus Zeng Yaqiong - China
(postponed)
Men's Doubles
Group A
Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky - Indonesia beat Tony Gunawan/Rudy Wijaya - Indonesia 15-8, 5-15, 15-8
Mixed Doubles
Group A
Tri Kusheryanto/Minarti Timur - Indonesia beat Imam Tohari/Ema Ermawati - Indonesia (unconfirmed, no score reported)

Some early results from today's matches:

Men's Singles

Group B
Dong Jiong - China beat Ong Ewe Hock - Malaysia 15-9, 17-14
Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen - Denmark beat Indra Wijaya - Indonesia 15-9, 15-11

Women' Singles
Group A
Gong Zhichao - China beat Christine Gandrup - Sweden 11-4, 11-8
Group D
Han Jingna - China beat Zeng Yaqiong - China 11-2, 8-11, 11-2

Men's Doubles
Group A
Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky - Indonesia beat Peter Axelsson/Par-Gunnar Jonsson - Sweden 15-4, 15-11
Mixed Doubles
Group A
Tri Kusheryanto/Minarti Timur - Indonesia beat Chris Hunt - England/ Helene Kirkegaard - Denmark 15-7, 15-3
Thomas Stavngaard/Ann Jorgensen - Denmark beat Imam Tohari/Ema Ermawati - Indonesia 18-15, 15-7