HONG KONG OPEN: GADE WINS; KOREANS LORD OVER DOUBLES

** 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 **

November 2, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark ended a week of celebrating his new standing as the world's number one badminton men's singles player by winning the championship of the five-star Hong Kong Open today. Gade, who sits on top of the world rankings at the young age of 20, defeated fellow Dane Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen in the finals played this afternoon at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

In the first game of the men's singles championship match, it appeared as though Gade would not be able to live up to his new standing. The six-foot five-inch tall Stuer came out very aggressively and tore Gade's defense to shreds with his steeply angled attacking play. Gade could not cope with his teammate's aggressiveness and lost badly 7-15.

However, the pace at which he played the first game took its toll on Stuer. The tall Dane did not seem to have the same energy in the second and Gade soon took the lead and won 15-6. The third also belonged to the youthful Gade who coasted to an overwhelming 15-4 victory.

In the men's doubles, Kim Dong-moon of Korea partnered Ha Tae-kwon to the title. Kim and Ha, unseeded at the tournament despite their championship win at the five-star U.S. Open in September, defeated the third-seeds, Hian Eng and Hermono from Indonesia, 15-4 and 15-12.

Kim and Ha were easy winners in the first game, limiting the nervous pair from Indonesia to only four points. In the second game, though, Hian and Hermono settled down and gave the Koreans battle. The game was closely contested, with the Indonesians holding a two-point lead, 11-9, going into the late stages.

At this juncture, however, Hian and Hermono were unnerved by two line calls that went against them. The two lost their concentration and the Koreans went on to grab the lead and to win at 15-12.

Kim, an Olympic gold medalist in mixed doubles, also won the Hong Kong Open championship in that event. He teamed up with Ra Kyung-min, an Olympic silver medal winner, and the two Olympic medalists defeated their fellow Koreans Ha Tae-kwon and Chung Jae-hee 15-12 and 15-3 in the finals.

Kim and Ra were the top seeds in the event, while Ha and Chung were seeded at number five.

Korea took a third Hong Kong Open title, this one in the women's doubles when the fifth seeded pair of Ra Kyung-min and Chung Jae-hee upended the top seeds from China, Liu Lu and Qian Hong, 15-7 and 15-12.

In women's singles, two unseeded Chinese second-stringers battled it out for the Hong Kong Open crown with Gong Ruina, fresh from the ranks of the junior players, defeating her doubles partner, Wu Huimin, 11-3, 8-11 and 11-5 in the final.

(mcoe/dsimmons)