THAI OPEN: TOP INDONESIANS RETURN TO ACTION

** 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 11, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - The top-ranking Indonesian players get back into action in the international badminton tournament circuit this week at the Thailand Open. Heryanto Arbi, Susi Susanti, and the men's doubles pair of Chandra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto lead the Indonesian contingent at the tournament that takes place in the Nimibutr stadium in Bangkok.

The top Indonesians had been held out of the world circuit by the Indonesian badminton association for two months because of the 19th SouthEast Asian Games that were held in Jakarta in September and because of the Indonesian national badminton championships that took place in Bandung two weeks ago.

At the four-star Thai Open, Arbi has been seeded first in the men's singles event. Susi is the top pick in women's singles, and the Wijaya-Budiarto pair is number one in men's doubles.

The top Danish men's singles players are not entered in the Thai Open. World number one Peter Gade Christensen, world champion Peter Rasmussen, and 1992 Olympic medalist Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen returned home after the China Open that ended this Sunday past. Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen never made it to the Hong Kong Open or the China Open where he had been a high seed. Hoyer had chosen to stay in Milton Keynes, England to be with his wife as she was about to give birth.

With the top Danes absent, Arbi's main challenge is expected to come from second-seeded teammate Indra Wijaya, third seed Ong Ewe Hock of Malaysia, fourth pick Luo Yigang of China and the other seeds which include Alan Budi Kusuma, Yong Hock Kin, Tam Kai Chuen, Rikard Magnusson, Kenneth Jonassen and Rashid Sidek. George Rimarcdi of Indonesia who defeated Arbi in the finals of the Indonesian nationals is also in the tournament and is seeded twelfth.

As for Susanti, her competition includes second seed Camilla Martin from Denmark, teammate Mia Audina, and Korean Kim Ji Hyun.

In men's doubles, the top contenders aside from the Wijaya-Budiarto combo are Lee and Yoo from Korea, Holst-Christensen and Sogaard from Denmark, Kantono and Antonius from Indonesia, Subagja and Mainaky also from Indonesia, Eriksen and Larsen from Denmark, Cheah and Yap from Malaysia, and Choong and Lee also from Malaysia.

In women's doubles, China's Qin Yiyuan and Tang Yongshu lead the entries. The Danish pair of Kirkegaard and Olsen are seeded second followed by Eliza and Zelin of Indonesia and Stuer-Lauridsen and Thomsen from Denmark.

World championships silver medalists Jens Eriksen and Marlene Thomsen are the top seeds in mixed doubles.

The full list of seeds:

Men's Singles
1. Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia)
2. Indra Wijaya (Indonesia)
3. Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia)
4. Luo Yigang (China)
5. Alan Budi Kusuma (Indonesia)
6. Yong Hock Kin (Malaysia)
7. Tam Kai Chuen (Hong Kong)
8. Rikard Magnusson (Sweden)
9. Kenneth Jonassen (Denmark)
10. Rashid Sidek (Malaysia)
11. Hendrawan (Indonesia)
12. George Rimarcdi (Indonesia)
13. Anders Boesen (Denmark)
14. Martin Lundgaard Hansen (Denmark)
15. Wong Choon Hann (Malaysia)
16. Henrik Bengtsson (Sweden)

Women's Singles
1. Susi Susanti (Indonesia)
2. Camilla Martin (Denmark)
3. Mia Audina (Indonesia)
4. Kim Ji Hyun (Korea)
5. Mette Sorensen (Denmark)
6. Marina Andrievskaya (Sweden)
7. Mette Pedersen (Denmark)
8. Anne Sondergaard (Denmark)

Men's Doubles
1. Sigit Budiarto/Chandra Wijaya (Indonesia)
2. Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yung Sung (Korea)
3. Jon Holst-Christensen/Michael Sogaard (Denmark)
4. Antonius Iriantho/Denny Kantono (Indonesia)
5. Rexy Mainaky/Ricky Subagja (Indonesia)
6. Jens Eriksen/Jesper Larsen (Denmark)
7. Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (Malaysia)
8. Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah (Malaysia)

Women's Doubles
1. Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu (China)
2. Helene Kirkegaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark)
3. Eliza Nathanael/Resiana Zelin (Indonesia)
4. Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen/Marlene Thomsen (Denmark)
5. Indarti Isolina/Denyana Lomban (Indonesia)
6. Ann Jorgensen/Majken Vange (Denmark)
7. Nicola Beck/Joanne Davies (England)
8. Marina Andrievskaya/Catrine Bengtsson (Sweden)

Mixed Doubles
1. Jens Eriksen/Marlene Thomsen (Denmark)
2. Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (Indonesia)
3. Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark)
4. Imam Tohari/Ema Ermawati (Indonesia)
5. Chris Hunt/Donna Kellogg (England)
6. Sandiarto/Finarsih (Indonesia)
7. Bambang Suprianto/Rosalina Riseu (Indonesia)
8. Jonas Rasmussen/Ann-Lou Jorgensen (Denmark)

(dsimmons)