RUSSIAN OPEN: HOYER BREAKS POST-OLYMPIC SLUMP

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS REPORT is presented by badminton world champions YANG YANG (1987 and 1989) and ZHAO JIAN HUA (1991) and by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS **

August 31, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark finally broke out of a year-long international Open title slump today at the Russian Open badminton tournament in Moscow. Hoyer, who had won an Olympic Games gold medal in early August last year, beat his young compatriot Kenneth Jonassen in today's men's singles championship match, one of five all-Denmark finals.

Hoyer started out slowly and poorly in today's match while Jonassen began by blasting away with opportunistic smashes and power shots. Hoyer was erratic in the early going and handed the younger Jonassen the lead with his errors.

The Olympic gold medalist settled down in the later part of the first game and started timing his soft blocks of Jonassen's smashes properly as well as keeping his own shots in. Hoyer got the lead back and pushed ahead to a 15-12 first game win.

In the second game, Hoyer was in full control and easily won 15-2.

The Russian Open title is Hoyer's first Open championship victory since he won the men's singles gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Hoyer has been close in several Open tournaments since then but has been losing in either the finals or semifinals. Before his victory today, the only tournament that he had won after the Olympics was the invitational Danish Masters in late December.

In the women's singles final match, the fifth-seeded Mette Pedersen beat an uninspired Mette Sorensen 11-2 and 11-2. Sorensen, the fourth seed who had pulled off an upset of top-seeded teammate Camilla Martin yesterday, did not have her winning form today.

In the men's doubles championship, third seeds Jon Holst-Christensen and Michael Sogaard defeated second-seeds Jim Laugessen and Thomas Stavngaard 15-9 and 15-13.

Holst also won the mixed doubles title with partner Ann Jorgensen. Holst and Jorgensen, though, had to battle with Janek Roos and Helene Kirkegaard in the first two games before taking the crown in the decider.

The unseeded pair of Roos and Kirkegaard took the first game from Holst and Jorgensen, also unseeded, 15-8. Roos and Kirkegaard tried to press for the win in the second but the experience, power and quickness of Holst combined with Jorgensen's skills helped pull the Holst-Jorgensen combo even with a 15-10 score.

In the decider, Holst and Jorgensen were too much for Roos and Kirkegaard, winning at 15-4.

But Kirkegaard did not go away from the Russian Open finals without a title. She and partner Rikke Olsen, the top seeds in women doubles, beat the second seeds Ann Jorgensen and Majken Vange 15-2 and 15-9.

(mig)