DANISH OPEN: TOP SEEDS, BATMAN OFF TO A GOOD START

** 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 **

October 17, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - The top-seeds at the four-star Danish Open badminton championships being held in the town of Vejle off to a good start yesterday in the first full day of competition.

Men's singles number one Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark handled Yuzo Kubota of Japan 15-1, 15-7, and second-seed Peter Rasmussen, nicknamed Batman because of his fondness for playing in black, whipped Martin Erlandsson of Sweden 15-2, 15-4. Third-seed Dong Jiong of China also won. He beat Niels Christian Kaldau of Denmark 15-9, 15-5.

Peter Gade Christensen, winner of the recent German Open and seeded fourth, recovered from a first game setback to beat fellow Dane Morten Boesen 11-15, 15-1, 15-5.

Fifth seed Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen of Denmark beat England's Steve Isaac 15-9, 15-6, and sixth seed Fung Permadi of Taipei defeated Soren Hansen of Denmark 15-8, 15-10.

Seventh-seed Thomas Johansson of Sweden was upset by Lo Ah Heng of Malaysia 8-15, 15-8, 15-9.

In women's singles, top-pick Camilla Martin beat Takae Masumo of Japan 11-5, 11-4. Number two seed Yasuko Misui of Japan was eliminated when she lost to Zhou Mi of China 4-11, 5-11.

Newly crowned Dutch Open champion Judith Meulendijks of the Netherlands also fell in another upset. She was defeated by Swedish veteran Margit Borg 7-11, 7-11. Eighth-seeds Canadian Denyse Julien was yet another upset victim. Julien dropped a tightly contested opening match 5-11, 11-8, 10-12 to Heidi Dossing of Denmark.

Men's doubles top-seeds Jon Holst-Christensen and Michael Sogaard of Denmark opened their 1997 Danish Open campaign by beating Finns Ville Kinunen and Ilkka Nyqvist 15-6, 15-7. Second seeds Thomas Stavngaard and Jim Laugesen also won their first round match. They defeated fellow Danes Martin Bruun and Jesper Christensen 15-3, 15-6.

Women's doubles top-seed Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen of Denmark had a first-round bye.

In mixed doubles second round action, Denmark's Jens Eriksen and Marlene Thomsen, the number one seeds, beat Steen Thygesen Poulsen and Jane Bramsen of Denmark 15-7, 15-6. The second-seeded pair of Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen had a harder match against fellow Danes Lars Paaske and Janne Morgensen, but managed to eliminate them 15-5, 5-15, 15-3.

(mcoe/dsimmons)