WORLD CUP: HOYER DOWNED BY INDONESIAN MACDONALD'S
by Martin Coe (from a report filed by J. Chang)

December 12, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - Olympic men's singles gold medalist Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark lost his first stage round-robin match at the Sanyo World Cup of badminton today to Indonesian Jeffer Rosobin. The Dane's defeat was due more to food from an Indonesian MacDonald's restaurant than to Rosobin's play.

Three other Danish players were also felled by Indonesian MacDonald's food that did not agree with their Western stomachs - Camilla Martin, Martin Lundgaard Hansen and Thomas Stavngaard. The three Danes all gave walkovers in their matches today.

Swedish players Peter Axelsson and Par-Gunnar Jonsson may also have been similiarly stricken. Axelsson and Jonsson also defaulted their match today.

Despite his ailment, Hoyer made a close match of it in the first game. He was playing erratically in the early going with his trademark tight net shots drops finding the net or going out of bounds. Even so, he was ahead of the Indonesian player 10-6.

More Hoyer errors enabled Rosobin to catch up at 12-all and then to pass the Olympic champion. Rosobin reached game point first 14-12.

Hoyer pulled his game together at this juncture and scored 5 straight points to take the game 17-14.

In the second and third games, the dehydration caused by the stomach ailment as well as the physical exertion of top badminton matchplay took its toll on the Dane.

Rosobin also played extremely well in the second and third. He pushed the dehydrated and energy-sapped Hoyer all over the court with crosscourt clears and tight drops.

Rosobin took the second game 15-6 and the rubber game 15-5.

With his victory, Rosobin is in the driver's seat in Group B. He is favored in tomorrow's round-robin match against Jeroen van Dijk of the Netherlands, but should qualify for Saturday's semifinals regardless of the outcome.

Hoyer's chances of gaining the semifinals are nil even if he wins his match against Lee Kwang Jin of Korea tomorrow.

In other men's singles play, Grand Prix Finals champion Fung Permadi of Taipei was upended for the second straight day. Darren Hall of England beat Permadi 15-12, 4-15 and 15-10.

Hall's victory puts him in an unexpected lead in Group A with two wins. Pang Chen, winner over Permadi yesterday but loser today to Chen Gang of China, is in second place together with Chen at 1-win and 1-loss apiece.

In men's doubles, the Russian team of Andrej Antropov and Nikolaj Zuev defeated Lee Wan Wah and Choong Tan Fook of Malaysia in a very closely contested match that went to overtime or setting in the second and third games and that could have gone either way. Antropov and Zuev prevailed 7-15, 17-15 and 17-16.

Malaysians Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock also prevailed in a close match with Simon Archer and Chris Hunt of England, 13-15, 15-6 and 17-14.

Results of the second day matches:

Men's Singles
Group A
Darren Hall - England beat Fung Permadi - Chinese Taipei 15-12, 4-15, 15-10
Chen Gang - China beat Pang Chen - Malaysia 15-7, 15-5
Group B
Jeffer Rosobin - Indonesia beat Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen - Denmark 14-17, 15-6, 15-5 Lee Kwang Jin - Korea beat Jeroen van Dijk - Netherlands 15-12, 15-8
Group C
Alan Budikusuma - Indonesia beat Oliver Pongratz - Germany 15-8, 15-2
Dong Jiong - China beat Soren Nielsen - Denmark 15-11, 15-6
Group D
Park Sung Woo - Korea beat Martin Lundgaard Hansen - Denmark in walkover
Ong Ewe Hock - Malaysia beat Jens Olsson - Sweden beat 15-8, 15-13

Women's Singles
Group A
Lee Joo Hyun - Korea beat Anne Sondergaard - Denmark 11-6, 11-3
Group B
Takako Ida - Japan beat Christine Gandrup - Sweden 11-9, 11-2
Group C
Hisako Mizui - Japan beat Camilla Martin - Denmark in walkover
Group D
Gong Zhichao - China beat Pornsawan Plungwech - Thailand 11-3, 11-6

Men's Doubles
Group A
Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock - Malaysia beat Simon Archer/Chris Hunt - England 13-15, 15-6, 17-14
Rexy Mainaky/Sigit - Indonesia beat Peter Axelsson/Par-Gunnar Jonsson - Sweden in walkover
Group B
Denny Kantono/Antonius - Indonesia beat Tao Xiaoqiang/Ge Cheng - China 15-1, 15-2
Andrej Antropov/Nikolaj Zuev - Russia beat Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah - Malaysia 7-15, 17-15, 17-16

Women's Doubles
Group A
Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu - China beat Kim Mee Hyang/Kim Shin Young - Korea 15-4, 15-2
Group B
Ge Fei/Gu Jun - China beat Helene Kirkegaard/Rikke Olsen - Denmark 15-1, 15-6

Mixed Doubles
Group A
Chen Xingdong/Peng Xingyong - China beat Thomas Stavngaard/Ann Jorgensen - Denmark in walkover (unconfirmed)
Group B
Nimpele Flandy/Rosalina Riseu - Indonesia beat Nick Ponting/Joanne Goode - England 15-3, 15-7