KONICA CUP (SINGAPORE OPEN): ARBI ADJUSTS AND TAKES SINGLES CROWN

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July 27, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Heryanto Arbi of Indonesia, known for his slambang, all-out jumpsmashing style of play, showed that he had more of a game than just that today in the men's singles championship match of the Konica Cup - Singapore Open badminton tournament at the National Indoor Stadium.

Arbi, the second seed, was playing teammate Indra Wijaya, seeded fifth, for the title and the 11,000 U.S. dollar first place purse. Arbi's jumpsmashing which he used throughout yesterday's semifinal match to subdue Ardy Wiranata, another teammate, was not as effective today against the quicker Wijaya. It was Wijaya who seized the initiative and the attack early. Wijaya's all-court coverage and offense stunned Arbi into a 3-15 first game setback.

Wijaya was still in control at the start of the second game, racing to a 6-0 advantage. Arbi, realizing that his usual quick, attacking style was not working, switched tactics and began to engage Wijaya in long rallies. The change worked as he moved Wijaya around the court, tiring him out and inducing many mistakes.

Arbi climbed back into contention and took the second game into deuce at 13-all. Still playing a mostly deliberate style punctuated by opportunistic attacks, Arbi outpointed Wijaya in the tiebreak 5 to 1 to claim the second stanza.

In the decider, Arbi maintained the tactics that got him back into the match and he won 15-9 to take his second Grand Prix circuit title of the year home.

The second-seeded Mia Audina of Indonesia defeated top-seed Gong Zhichao of China in the women's singles final 11-12, 11-8 and 11-4.

In the men's doubles championship match, world champions Budiarto Sigit and Chandra Wijaya of Indonesia once more outquicked Koreans Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yung Sung. Sigit and Wijaya took the match and the title 15-8 and 15-10.

The two pairs had tangled in last week's finals of the Indonesian Open, with the world champions coming out on top then.

Top seeds Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China, the world champions, took the women's doubles crown, defeating second-seeds Indarti Isoliana and Denyana Lomban of Indonesia 15-4 and 15-9. The Chinese pair's victory prevented an Indonesian title sweep such as what happened at last week's Indonesian Open in Solo, Central Java.

In a championship match played yesterday, Bambang Suprianto and Riseu Rosalina of Indonesia captured the mixed doubles title, beating Kim Dong Moon and Park So Yun of Korea 15-13 and 15-9.

Wth the conclusion of the Konica Cup - Singapore Open today, the major international badminton tournament circuit goes into a four-week break. The next big tournament will be the World Cup scheduled for Jakarta, Indonesia in late August.

(jpcf/mig)