KOREAN OPEN: RASMUSSEN BEATS TOP SEED THEN LOSES
(from a report filed by YANG YANG BADMINTON SHUTTLES)

January 22, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - It was an up-and-down day at the Samsung Korean Open badminton tournament for Peter Rasmussen of Denmark, the recently-crowned Japan Open men's singles champion. He started off by eliminating the top-seeded Fung Permadi of Taipei in a three-game match 15-8, 1-15 and 15-9.

In a third-round match later on against Yong Hock Kin of Malaysia, Rasmussen who plays a very aggressive and attacking style did not have much left in his smashes. On the other hand, Yong was able to smash his way past the defenses of the tired Danish player.

Yong took the first game from Rasmussen 15-8. In the second, Rasmussen scrambled back to gain deuce at 13-all and then put enough of his game together to squeeze past Yong 18-17.

In the deciding third game, the earlier three-game match with Permadi and the long, punishing second game took its toll on Rasmussen. His attacks were without their usual sting and Yong was able to defend well against the Dane, as well as to unload scoring attacks of his own. Yong took the decider 15-5.

With the elimination of the top-seeded Permadi and the hot non-seed Rasmussen, second-seed Rashid Sidek of Malaysia has become the favourite to win the Korean Open men's singles crown. Sidek beat Jaime Llanes of the Philippines in the second round 15-3 and 15-2, and Kim Jae Hyun of Korea in the third 15-1 and 15-3.

Olympic silver medalist Dong Jiong of China who was entered in the tourney had earlier withdrawn from competition. Dong was recalled to China after his early round loss at the Japan Open last week.

Crowding Sidek for the title are Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia) who beat Korean Kim Jong Gil 12-15, 15-3 and 15-8, Indra Wijaya (Indonesia) who beat Kim Young Hyun (Korea) 15-12 and 15-12, Jeffer Rosobin (Indonesia) who defeated Hang Dong Sung (Korea) 15-8 and 15-11, Budi Santoso (Indonesia) who beat Richard Vaughn (Wales) 1507 and 15-9, Park Sung Woo (Korea) who defeated Ng Kean Kok (Malaysia) 15-2 and 15-2, Kim Hak Kyun (Korea) who eliminated Peter Knowles (England) 15-2 and 15-11, and Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen (Denmark) who defeated Pang Chen (Malaysia) 15-9 and 15-7.

In men's doubles, top-seeds Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock of Malaysia opened their title campaign by soundly thrashing Brent Olynyk and Iain Sydie of Canada 15-5 and 15-2. Second-seeds Rudy Wijaya and Tony Gunawan of Indonesia kept pace by defeating Malaysians Chang Kim Wai and Cheah Soon Thoe 15-6, 8-15 and 15-4.

In women's singles, all of the Indonesian entries were eliminated. Their best player here at the Korean Open, Meiluawati, ranked 12th in the world, went down to an 8-11, 11-5 and 11-9 defeat at the hands of Korea's Kim Kyung Ran.

Another top Indonesian, Lidya Djaelawidjaya, was upset by Canadian veteran Denyse Julien 11-7 and 11-4. Julien's smashes were finding the floor today past the Indonesian girl's defenses, while Djaelawidaya was self-destructing with many unforced errors.

In women's doubles, the second-seeds, Indarti Isolina and Denyana Lomban of Indonesia, were shown the exit door by a pair of Chinese singles aces, Gong Zhichao and Zhang Ning.

Gong and Zhang made a big comeback in the first game. Down 5-13, the Chinese pair battled back to a 14-all tie and then won at 17-14. In the second game, the Indonesians had the Chinese pair in trouble with pushes and drives to the backcourt, but they could not sustain the pressure. Gong and Zhang were able to recover and then win 15-9.

Top-seeds Eliza Nathanael and Resiana Zelin remained in contention, winning their match today against Ling Wang Ting and Koon Wai Chee of Hong Kong 15-2 and 15-12.