HONG KONG OPEN: TOP SEEDED HOYER PULLS OUT

** 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 28, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark who had been seeded first in the men's singles event of this week's four-star Hong Kong Open badminton championships, has withdrawn from the tournament, according to officials of the Hong Kong badminton association. Hoyer, the 1996 Olympic champion, has chosen to stay home to be with his wife Heidi who is expected to give birth to the couple's second child anytime now.

Hoyer had entered his name for the championships being held from tomorrow until Sunday because the baby was originally expected to have been born last week. However, the birth did not occur as projected, causing Hoyer to stay close to home and withdraw from the Hong Kong Open.

Hoyer's withdrawal will benefit eleventh-seeded Kevin Han of the USA. Han was drawn to meet Hoyer in the round-of-16. With Hoyer staying home, Han now has more than a great chance of getting into the quarterfinals.

The seeds:

Men's Singles
1. Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (Denmark) - withdrawn
2. Peter Gade Christensen (Denmark)
3. Peter Rasmussen (Denmark)
4. Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen (Denmark)
5. Budi Santoso (Indonesia)
6. Fung Permadi (Taipei)
7. Jeroen van Dijk (Netherlands)
8. Rashid Sidek (Malaysia)
9. Joko Suprianto (Indonesia)
10. Marleve Mainaky (Indonesia)
11. Kevin Han (USA)
12. Tam Kai Chuen (Hong Kong)
13. Hwang Sun Ho (Korea)
14. Ismail Saman (Malaysia)
15. Lo Ah Heng (Malaysia)
16. Tam Lok Tin (Hong Kong)

Women's Singles
1. Judith Meulendijks (Netherlands)
2. Lee Kyung Won (Korea)
3. Cindana Hartono (Indonesia)
4. Pornsawan Plungwech (Thailand)
5. Meiluawati (Indonesia)
6. Huang Chia-chi (Taipei)
7. Katarzyna Krasowska (Poland)
8. Brenda Beenhakker (Netherlands)

Men's Doubles
1. Jim Laugesen/Thomas Stavngaard (Denmark)
2. Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah (Malaysia)
3. Hermono/Hian Eng (Indonesia)
4. Tony Gunawan/Victo Wibowo (Indonesia)
5. Siripong Siripol/Pramote Teerawiwatana (Thailand)
6. Tesana Panvisvas/Anurak Thiraratsakul (Thailand)
7. Tan Kim Her/Rosman Razak (Malaysia)
8. Chew Choon Eng/Lee Chee Leung (Malaysia)

Women's Doubles
1. Qian Hong/Liu Lu (China)
2. Chen Li-chin/Tsai Hui-min (Taipei)
3. Pornsawan Plungwech/Thitikarn Duangsiri (Thailand)
4. Tung Chau Man/Koon Wai Chee (Hong Kong)
5. Ra Kyung Min/Chung Jae Hee (Korea)
6. Ng Ching/Ling Wan Ting (Hong Kong)
7. Wu Huimin/Gong Ruina (China)
8. Kim Kyung Ran/Kang Mi Hwa (Korea)

Mixed Doubles
1. Kim Dong Moon/Ra Kyung Min (Korea)
2. Ma Che Kong/Tung Chau Man (Hong Kong)
3. Zhang Jun/Liu Lu (China)
4. Tam Lok Tin/Ng Ching (Hong Kong)
5. Ha Tae Kwon/Chung Jae Hee (Korea)
6. Yang Ming/Qian Hong (China)
7. Chan Siu Kwong/Ling Wan Ting (Hong Kong)
8. Yim Bang Eun/Kim Kyung Ran (Korea)

Unseeded entries worth watching out for are the Korean men's doubles team of Kim Dong Moon and Ha Tae Kwon, and women's singles players Lee Soon Deuk of Korea, Gong Ruina of China, and Wu Huimin also of China.

(mcoe/migrossman)