POLISH OPEN: INDONESIAN SECOND TEAM TAKES 4 TITLES

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March 30, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Players primarily from the Indonesian second team captured four of the five titles at stake at the one-star Polish Open leg of the International Badminton Federation's Grand Prix tournament series held in Warsaw this week.

The men's singles title escaped the Indonesians at this tournament that had a weak draw, with only the men's and mixed doubles events attracting top-ten rated players - Indonesians Tony Gunawan and Rudy Wijaya who were playing with new partners, Imam Tohari and Ema Ermawati, and Flandy Limpele who was paired with a new partner for the second tournament in a row.

Men's singles top-seed Tam Kai Chuen of Hong Kong and fourth-seed Thomas Sogaard of Denmark pulled through to the finals despite the efforts of Indonesians Irwansyah and Ronny Agustinus and also India's Pullela Gopi Chand, a finalist at this year's Indian Open. In the championship match, Tam defeated Sogaard 15-4 and 15-11.

In women's singles, Indonesian Yuli Marfuah, fresh from the junior ranks and a non-seed in this tourney, was the best in a field that included world number 34 Joanne Muggeridge of England as the top-seed and world number 38 Katarzyna Krasowska of the host country as the second-seed. Marfuah beat the fourth-seeded Johanna Holgersson of Sweden 11-3 and 11-6 in the finals.

Tony Gunawan and Victor Wibowo of Indonesia won their second international tournament in two weeks with a 15-11 and 15-6 finals victory over their former partners, Rudy Wijaya and Seng Kok Keong. Gunawan and Wibowo were the champions of last week's French Open, an event on the second-tier European Badminton Union circuit.

Indonesians Etty Tantri and Cynthia, women's doubles titleists at the French Open, were also repeat winners this week. Tantri and Cynthia, seeded second, beat the third-seeded Taiwanese pair of Chen Li Chin and Tsai Huey Min 12-15, 15-8 and 15-9.

In mixed doubles, Indonesian Flandy Limpele, world-rated at number six with regular partner Rosalina Riseu, teamed up with Etty Tantri to take the Polish Open title. Limpele and Tantri defeated top-seeded compatriots Imam Tohari and Ema Ermawati in the finals.