WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: ENGLAND'S HALL STUNS KOREA'S PARK SUNG WOO

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May 21, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - English men's singles player Darren Hall played one of the best games of his career tonight in the badminton world team championships' Group 1A fixture between England and Korea.

Hall had all his shots working in the early going against Korea's Park Sung Woo, grabbing a 5-0 lead. Hall combined deep clears and tight net shots to move Park around the court, patiently constructing rallies until he got Park to commit an error or until he could unload a crosscourt smash.

Park was able come back somewhat at 5-6 as Hall tired and some of his shots started to fly out-of-bounds. Park, however, also tired and he was at times trying to catch his breath in between rallies.

Hall again raced to another 5-point lead at 10-5 and then increased his lead to 14-6.

Park again came back 10-14 as Hall started to commit errors.

Finally, Hall scored the winner to take the first 15-10.

In the second, it was Park who got the early lead 5-0 as Hall seemed to have problems with the lights on his end of the court.

Park, though, tired again as Hall put him through some long rallies. Hall caught up at 5-all. The two exchanged leads until 9-all when Park strung several points together on a tiring and erratic Hall to get to game point 14-9.

Hall came back slowly with the same type of combinations - clears, crosscourt clears, drops, net shots and then the scoring crosscourt smash.

Hall equalized at 14-all.

In the setting, both players looked tired. Park scored first but Hall got the point back and then got to match point with a crosscourt smash. Park greeted a short serve from Hall with a return to the net, giving Hall the victory.

Hall's surprising win gave England high hopes and a tie with Korea at one match apiece.

Earlier, Olympic mixed doubles gold medalist Lim Dong Moon had teamed up with silver medalist Ra Kyung Min to defeat Simon Archer and Julie Bradbury 15-13 and 15-11.

Kim Ji Hyun deflated England's high spirits after Hall's victory when she beat Julia Mann in a women's singles encounter 11-5 and 11-1.

Ha Tae Kwon and Kang Kyung Jina then clinched the fixture for Korea when they overpowered Simon Archer and Chris Hunt in a men's doubles match 15-8 and 15-8.

Kim Shin Young and Chung Jae Hee finished off the English with a 15-6 and 15-8 win over Julie Bradbury and Donna Kellogg.

In Group 1B, Denmark beat Sweden 4 matches to one.

Camilla Martin took the women's singles match with an easy 11-3and 11-3 victory over Marina Andrievskaya.

Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen followed with a 15-6 and 15-3 mixed doubles drubbing of Jens Olsson and Astrid Crabo.

Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen took half of a game in the men's singles match with Rikard Magnusson before he found his rhythm and touch. The Swede had gotten the lead but once Stuer got his rhythm, the Dane caught up.

Stuer and Magnusson were even at 13-all but the Dane was clicking by then with tight net shots, backhand drops and steep smashes. Stuer took the tiebreak 5 points to 1 to make the score 18-14.

The second was all Stuer's as he steamrollered Magnusson 15-1.

Stuer's win clinched the fixture for Denmark.

Thomas Stavngaard and Jim Laugessen then played Peter Axelsson and Par-Gunnar Jonsson of Sweden. Stavngaard and Laugessen beat the Swedes 15-11 and 17-14.

Marina Andrievskaya and Catrine Bengtsson got the sole win for Sweden in the closing women's doubles match against Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen and Marlene Thomsen. Lisbet Stuer was off-form and she seemed bothered by a knee injury. Her shots lacked power and steepness, making it easy for the Swedes to pick off her shots.

Andrievskaya and Bengtsson took the women's doubles match 15-9 and 15-3.

The losses by England and Sweden tonight combined with their losses last night puts the two teams at the bottom of their groups in division 1. The two teams will play each other in a relegation playoff to decide who stays in division 1 and who drops down to division 2.

Results of the fixtures this morning:

Group 4B
Ukraine beat the Czech Republic 5 matches to none
Wales beat Switzerland 5-0
Group 3A
Australia beat Austria 4-1
Hong Kong beat Finland 5-0
Group 5A
France beat Belgium 5-0
Portugal beat Belarus 5-0
Group 8
Estonia beat Greece 5-0
Lithuania beat Armenia 5-0

Results of fixtures this afternoon:

Group 2A
Taiwan beat Thailand 3-2
Germany beat Japan 3-2
Group 5B
Ireland beat Kazakhstan 4-1
Spain beat Peru 4-1
Group 6B
Mauritius beat Israel 3-2
South Africa beat Jamaica 4-1

Results of fixtures this evening:

Group 1A
Korea beat England 4-1
Group 1B
Denmark beat Sweden 4-1
Group 2B
Malaysia beat Russia 3-2
Netherlands beat Canada 5-0
Group 8
Lithuania beat Estonia 3-2
Armenia beat Chile 5-0
Group 6A
Slovenia beat Pakistan 3-2
Sri Lanka beat Guatemala 4-1

(migrossman)