THAI OPEN: ALAN AND SUSI UNABLE TO PLAY

** 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 12, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Alan Budi Kusuma and Susi Susanti, both Olympic gold medalists at the 1992 Barcelona Games in badminton, pulled out of the Thailand Open before the start of yesterday's opening round because of injury. The Indonesian men's singles specialist Kusuma hurt himself in the quarterfinals of the Indonesian national championships two weeks ago, while Susi injured her leg during the team championships at the SouthEast Asian Games.

Neither injury is thought to be severe and Susanti, the world number one in women's singles, should be able to play in the year-ending World Grand Prix Finals in mid-December. Kusuma though is on the bubble for the Grand Prix Finals. He is ranked number 15 in the world in men's singles and only the top 16 players are entitled to participate in the year-ender.

Kusuma was seeded fifth in the men's singles event at the Thai Open, while Susanti was the top pick in the women's singles.

Some of the results of yesterday's first round matches;

Men's Singles
Allan Tai (Malaysia) beat Naruenat Chuaymak (Thailand) 15-12, 15-2
Ramesh Nathan (Malaysia) beat Krid Chuaynarong (Thailand) 12-15, 15-3, 15-7
Chen Gang (China) beat Karavee Hongspoe (Thailand) 15-4, 15-4
Tomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Pei Wee Chung (Malaysia) 15-4, 15-7
Anders Boesen (Denmark) beat Foo Yoon Keang (Malaysia) 15-10, 15-0
Rashid Sidek (Malaysia) beat Tan Siang Peng (Singapore) 15-4, 15-2
Apichai Teeraratsakul (Thailand) beat Abubakar Ibrahim (Nigeria) 15-1, 15-5
Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia) beat Ng Wei (Hong Kong) 15-6, 15-8
Kayode Akinsanya (Nigeria) beat Alan Budi Kusuma (Indonesia) walkover
Yong Hock Kin (Malaysia) beat Anupap Teeraratsakul (Thailand) 15-3, 15-4
Sirachai Panpachara (Thailand) beat Lee Tsuen Seng (Malaysia) 11-15, 15-12, 15-8
Martin Lundgaard Hansen (Denmark) beat Colin Haughton (England) 5-11, 11-4, 11-8
Wong Choon Hann beat Boonsak Polsana (Thailand) 15-7, 15-7
Marek Bujak (Germany) beat Mahathir Mustaffa (Malaysia) 18-16, 15-11
Wong Ewee Mun beat Daniel Eriksson (Sweden) 9-15, 15-10, 15-11
Mohamed Roslin Hashim beat Darren Hall (England) 15-7, 15-4
Siew Yian Wai beat Sydney Lengagne (France) 15-9, 9-15, 15-11
Lo Ah Heng beat Liu Kwok Wa (Hong Kong) 15-12, 15-11
Yap Yong Jyen beat Natapol Sarawan (Thailand) 15-11, 15-5
Ismail Samad beat Kenneth Jonassen (Denmark) 12-15, 15-4, 15-2
Henrik Bengtsson (Sweden) beat Ng Kean Kok (Malaysia) 15-7, 15-8

Women's Singles
Wang Chen (China) beat Dorcas Ezikiel (Nigeria) 11-0, 11-0
Margit Borg (Sweden) beat Methinee Narawirawuth (Thailand) 11-3, 11-2
Zhang Ning (China) beat Zarinah Abdullah (Singapore) 11-7, 11-4
Tine Rasmussen (Denmark) beat Tanya Woodward (England) 11-1, 11-2
Nutjarintra Thikhatrakul (Thailand) beat Elizabeth Didikiri (Nigeria) 11-3, 11-2
Pornsawan Plungwech (Thailand) beat Lilas Lefort (France) 11-1, 11-2
Thitikarn Duangsiri (Thailand) beat Sandra Dimbour (France) 11-5, 11-12, 12-11
Natsaran Boonvoramethi (Thailand) beat Prisca Azuine (Nigeria) 11-1, 11-2
Heike Schonharting (Germany) beat Woo Pui Kuan (Malaysia) 11-0, 11-7
Lee Yin Yin (Malaysia) beat Anika Sietz (Germany) 11-5, 11-4
Katja Michalowsky (Germany) beat Ishwari Boobathy (Malaysia)11-3, 11-3
Woon Sze Mei (Malaysia) beat Suelee Kustaletova (Kazakhstan) 12-10, 11-6

(mcoe/dsimmons)