THAI OPEN: INDRA FAILS, MIA SCRAPES THROUGH TO SEMIS

** 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 14, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Indra Wijaya of Indonesia, one of the remaining high seeds in the men's singles event at the Thailand Open badminton tournament, failed to make it through to the semifinals when he apparently sustained an injury in the closing moments of a tight first game against his compatriot Hendrawan. Wijaya, the second seed, dropped the opener of his quarterfinal match today 13-15 and was barely a factor in the second game, losing at 0-15.

Indonesia's Mia Audina, the highest seeded player left in the women's singles event after the top two seeds, Indonesian Susi Susanti and Danish player Camilla Martin were unable to compete, barely managed to beat a tenacious Zhang Ning from China. Audina had started out very well, taking the opener 11-3, but Zhang was able to fight back in the second. Using well-placed smashes combined with delicate dropshots, the Chinese player befuddled Audina and won the second set 11-7.

The third was a seesaw affair with neither player getting a clear advantage. Audina and Zhang played to deuce at 9-all. In the 3-point setting (tiebreak), Audina outscored Zhang 3-1 to take the decider at 12-10.

In the other men's singles semifinals, fourth seeded Luo Yigang of China survived a stiff challenge from newly crowned Indonesian national champion George Rimarcdi. Luo beat the Indonesian 6-15, 15-6 and 15-6.

Tenth seed Rashid Sidek, who had upset top-rated Heryanto Arbi yesterday, also survived. He came back from a first-game loss and defeated teammate Roslin Hashim 12-15, 15-8 and 15-2. In the other men's singles quarterfinal. Chen Gang of China eliminated Yap Yong Jyen of Malaysia 15-11 and 15-8.

Sidek and Chen will face each other in one of tomorrow's semifinal matches. Luo and Hendrawan are booked in the other men's singles semifinal.

In women's singles, fourth seed Kim Ji Hyun of Korea beat Yao Yan of China 11-5, 8-11 and 11-4 to set up a final four matchup against Wang Chen of China. Wang defeated Denmark's Mette Pedersen 11-5 and 11-2 in her section of the quarterfinals.

Zenq Yaqiong of China also made it through to the semifinals. She beat Marina Andrievskaia of Sweden 7-11, 11-9 and 11-8. Zeng will play Audina for a spot in the championship match.

In mixed doubles, two Danish pairs went through to tomorrow's final. Top seeds Jens Eriksen and Marlene Thomsen beat China's Tao Xiaoqiang and Tang Yongshu 15-8 and 15-6 in one of the semifinals played today. Third seeds Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen defeated Yoo Yung Sung and Gil Young Ah of Korea in the other semifinal 15-11 and 15-9.

(mcoe/dsimmons)