WORLD CUP: AUDINA TURNS BACK STRONG KOREAN CHALLENGE

**This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS and their Southern U.S.A. agents, SPORTSNET INTERNATIONAL (Email: jumpsmash@aol.com/ Tel:713-771-8905/Fax:713-771-4446)**

August 21, 1997 (NEW SHTTULES) - In one of today's highlight matches in the round-robin stage of the badminton World Cup being held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, women's singles Group B favourite Mia Audina of Indonesia was severely tested by Korea's Kim Ji Hyun, but the Indonesian teenager, winner of a silver medal at the recent Atlanta Olympic games, managed to turn back the Korean challenge.

Audina and Kim swapped wins in the first two games. The Indonesian started well but Kim fought back, gained the lead at 6-5 and then closed out the first game at 11-8.

In the second, Kim raced to an 8-0 lead, as Audina's game fell apart. It looked like Audina was a goner, but somehow, the gritty Indonesian teen put her game together. She slowly and patiently came back and held Kim scoreless for the rest of the game. Audina took the second 11-8.

The second game loss deflated the Korean and she offered very little opposition in the decider which Audina won 11-4. With her close victory today, Audina clinched a spot in the semifinal stage that will be played on Saturday.

World men's doubles champions Chandra Wijaya and Budiarto Sigit of Indonesia also turned back a strong challenge, this one from the Swedish pair of Peter Axelsson and Par-Gunnar Jonsson. Wijaya and Sigit ran into trouble against the Swedes in the second game of their Group A matchup. The world champions had taken the first stanza easily 15-7, but the Swedes adjusted their tactics in the second game and played more of a flat net game with fast shots into the body area. The change enabled the Swedes to take the set 15-10.

It was the world champions' turn to adapt in the third game. They started sending more of their shots crosscourt instead of straight ahead, often catching the Swedes by surprise. Wijaya and Sigit won the decider 15-8.

In men's singles, Indra Wijaya of Indonesia and Jeroen van Dijk of the Netherlands battled in an exciting Group A matchup that saw the Indonesian player eking out victory in two close games 15-13 and 17-15.

In a key men's singles Group C encounter, China's Sun Jun defeated Ardy Wiranata of Indonesia. Sun took the first game 15-7 and had to overcome a Wiranata scoring advantage in the second to win at 15-9.

In women's doubles Group A, Denyana Lomban of Indonesia was unable to play her first match due to sudden illness. The tournament organizers allowed another Indonesian doubles standout - Finarsih - to play in her place. The veteran Finarsih partnered Indarti Isolina to a 15-6 and 15-5 win over the hapless English pair of Nicola Beck and Joanne Davies.

In mixed doubles, world champions Liu Yong and Ge Fei of China clinched the pennant in Group A and made certain of a spot in the semifinals with a 15-10 and 15-10 win over Indonesians Imam Tohari and Ema Ermawati. Group B favourites Heryanto Trikus and Minarti Timur of Indonesia also had a pennant-clinching win in Group B in a matchup with Michael Keck of Germany and Erica van den Heuvel of the Netherlands. Heryanto and Timur prevailed in three games 15-9, 2-15 and 15-5.

Results of the other matches today:

Men's Singles
Group A - Dong Jiong (China) beat Martin Lundgaard Hansen (Denmark) 15-2 and 15-5
Group B - Joko Suprianto (Indonesia) beat Luo Yigang (China) 15-8 and 15-8; Pullela Gopichand (India) beat Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 15-7, 15-17 and 15-3
Group C - Soren B. Nielsen (Denmark) beat Tam Kai Chuen (Hong Kong) 8-15, 15-7 and 15-9
Group D - Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia) beat Hwang Sun Ho (Korea) 15-7 and 15-8; Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia) beat Darren Hall (England) walkover

Women's Singles
Group A - Meiluawati (Indonesia) beat Takako Ida (Japan) 11-7 and 11-2
Group C - Gong Zhichao (China) beat Lee Joo Hyun (Korea) 11-3 and 11-1
Group D - Wang Chen (China) beat Judith Meulendijks (Netherlands) 11-3 and 11-2

Men's Doubles

Group A - Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah (Malaysia) beat Ge Cheng/Tao Xiaoqiang (China) 15-9 and 15-9

Group B - Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yung Sung (Korea) beat Chris Hunt/Simon Archer (England) 15-3 and 15-9; Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (Indonesia) beat Andrej Antropov/Nikolaj Zuev (Russia) 15-9 and 15-3

Women's Doubles
Group A - Indarti Isolina/Finarsih (Indonesia) beat Nicola Beck/Joanne Davies (England) 15-6 and 15-5
Group B - Rosiana Zelin/Eliza (Indonesia) beat Chen Li Chin/Tsai Huey Min (Taipei) 15-5 and 15-9

The group standings after the second day ( * before name indicates that the player or pair have qualified for the semifinals):

Men's Singles
Group A
Dong Jiong (China) - 2 wins/no losses
Indra Wijaya (Indonesia) - 2 wins/no losses
Jeroen van Dijk (Netherlands) - no wins/2 losses
Martin Lundgaard-Hansen (Denmark) - no wins/2 losses

Group B
Joko Suprianto (Indonesia) - 2 wins/no losses
Pullela Gopichand (India) - 2 wins/no losses
Thomas Johansson (Sweden) - no wins/2 losses
Luo Yigang (China) - no wins/2 losses

Group C
Sun Jun (China) - 2 wins/no losses
Ardy Wiranata (Indonesia) - 1 win/1 loss
Soren B. Nielsen (Denmark) - 1 win/1 loss
Tam Kai Chuen (Hong Kong) - no wins/2 losses

Group D
Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia) - 2 wins/no losses
Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia) - 2 wins/no losses
Hwang Sun Ho (Korea) - no wins/2 losses
Darren Hall (England) - no wins/2 losses

Women's Singles
Group A
Ye Zhaoying (China) - 1 win/no losses
Meiluawati (Indonesia) - 1 win/no losses
Takako Ida (Japan) - no wins/2 losses

Group B
*Mia Audina (Indonesia) - 2 wins/no losses
Kim Ji Hyun (Korea) - no wins/1 loss
Marina Andrievskaya (Sweden) - no wins/1 loss

Group C
*Gong Zhichao (China) - 2 wins/no losses
Pornsawan Plungwech (Thailand) - no wins/1 loss
Lee Joo Hyun (Korea) - no wins/1 loss

Group D
Susi Susanti (Indonesia) - 1 win/no losses
Wang Chen (China) - 1 win/no losses
Judith Meulendijks (Netherlands) - no wins/2 losses

Men's Doubles
Group A
*Chandra Wijaya/Budiarto Sigit (Indonesia) - 2 wins/no losses
*Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah (Malaysia) - 2 wins/no losses
Peter Axelsson/Par-Gunnar Jonsson (Sweden) - no wins/2 losses
Ge Cheng/Tao Xiaoqiang (China) - no wins/2 losses

Group B
*Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yung Sung (Korea) - 2 wins/no losses
*Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (Indonesia) - 2 wins/no losses
Chris Hunt/Simon Archer (England) - no wins/2 losses
Andrej Antropov/Nikolaj Zuev (Russia) - no wins/2 losses

Women's Doubles
Group A
*Ge Fei/Gu Jun (China) - 1 win/no losses
*Indarti Isolina/Finarsih (Indonesia) - 1 win/no losses
Nicola Beck/Joanne Davies (England) - no wins/2 losses

Group B
*Tang Yongshu/Qin Yiyuan (China) - 1 win/no losses
*Rosiana Zelin/Eliza (Indonesia) - 1 win/no losses
Chen Li Chin/Tsai Huey Min (Taipei) - no wins/2 losses

Mixed Doubles
Group A
*Liu Yong/Ge Fei (China) - 2 wins/no losses
Peter Axelsson/Catrine Bengtsson (Sweden) - no wins/1 loss
Imam Tohari/Ema Ermawati (Indonesia) - no wins/1 loss

Group B
*Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (Indonesia) - 2 wins/no losses
Michael Keck (Germany)/Erica van den Heuvel (Netherlands) - no wins/1 loss
Limpele Flandy/Rosalina Riseu (Indonesia) - no wins/1 loss

(jpcf/mig)