INDONESIAN OPEN: RICKY AND REXY, ARBI BEATEN IN SEMIS

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July 19, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Olympic men's doubles gold medalists Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia were upended by Koreans Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yung Sung in a gruelling three-game semifinal match today at the Indonesian Open badminton championships being held at the Bhinekka Stadium in the city of Solo, Central Java. The Olympic champions' loss was the only black mark in the host country's performance today with Indonesians sweeping all the other semifinal matches and assuring the hosts of at least 4 titles.

Ricky and Rexy led for most of the first game as their strong defense kept the fast and agressive Korean pair at bay. However, Lee and Yoo's combination of fast driving shots, aggressive net play and powerful smashes became more effective as the game went on and the Indonesians' defenses started to weaken. Lee and Yoo took the first game 15-13.

In the second game, Ricky and Rexy were in control as the Koreans seemed to tire from their first game efforts. The Olympic medalists easily won the second 15-2.

In the decider, the Indonesian pair had the lead again, but the Koreans got their quick, agressive game going and managed to turn back the Indonesians at match point and to catch up at 14-all.

Lee and Yoo continued their fast driving attacks in the three-point tiebreak, focusing their shots on Subagja and drawing point-scoring errors from the Indonesian player to win the third game at 17-14.

Lee and Yoo's victory puts them into the finals against world champions Sigit Budiarto and Chandra Wijaya of Indonesia who defeated teammates Denny Kantono and Antonius Budi Iriantho 15-3 and 17-15. The two Koreans will be the only visiting players in the finals.

In the men's singles semifinals, Ardy Wiranata continued his comeback from a bout with hepatitis A almost a year ago by defeating a tired Heryanto Arbi 15-4 and 15-5. Wiranata's defensive style easily negated Arbi's smashes and smash-net kill combinations. Arbi who had to play a three-game quarterfinal match yesterday did not seem to running on full power today.

Marleve Mainaky of Indonesia won the other men's singles semifinal, defeating Yong Hock Kin of Malaysia 15-5 and 15-5. Mainaky applied the pressure on the Malaysian with fast play early in the match. Yong was more than a step slow today and he could not cope with Mainaky.

After the Mainaky-Yong match, a member of the Malaysian team said that Yong was tired and exhausted going into the semifinal and that the quarterfinal encounter with Peter Gade-Christensen of Denmark had sapped Yong's energy reserves.

In the women's events, Indonesian players conquered their Korean and Japanese opponents and, because of the absence of Chinese players due to visa problems, were able to set up unusual all-Indonesian championship matches.

Susi Susanti will face off in a final against a teammate for the first time in several years. Susanti's finals opponents in the past have usually been Chinese or Korean. Tomorrow, her opposition will be fellow Indonesian Meiluawati.

Had the Chinese been able to make it to the tournament, Susanti would probably have had to play a very difficult semifinal against Gong Zhichao, the world championships silver medalist and her new nemesis. Instead, she drew Lee Joo Hyun of Korea and had an easy win 11-1 and 11-2.

Meiluawati beat teammate Ellen Engelina 12-10 and 11-4 in her semifinal match.

In women's doubles, Indonesian pairs Resiana Zelin and Eliza, and Finarsih and Timur made it to the finals without having to contend with Chinese players Ge Fei and Gu Jun, the world champions, and Tang Yongshu and Qin Yiyuan, the world championships silver medalists.

Zelin and Eliza beat the last remaining European title contenders, Marlene Thomsen and Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen 15-11 and 15-8, while Minarti Timur and Finarsih defeated Japan's Yoshiko Iwata and Haruko Matsuda 15-8 and 15-9 in the semifinals.

In mixed doubles, Indonesia's Bambang Suprianto continued to win in his Grand Prix circuit debut in the event. Bambang, a top men's doubles specialist with many titles and a prestigious All-England championship to his credit, has been trying his hand at mixed doubles and had won the Bumiputera International earlier this month with partner Rosalina Riseu. In today's semifinals, Bambang and Riseu beat teammates Sandiarto and Finarsih 15-5 and 18-13.

In another all-Indonesian semifinal, Trikus Heryanto and Minarti Timur defeated Imam Tohari and Ema Ermawati 15-6 and 15-8.

(martincoe/migrossman)