VIETNAM OPEN: CHEN GANG, INDONESIANS VICTORIOUS IN FINALS

** 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 23, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - China's youthful Chen Gang bested 1992 Olympic gold medal-winner Alan Budi Kusuma of Indonesia in the men's singles championship match at the Vietnam Open badminton tournament in Hanoi today. Chen, the 1994 world junior champion and the fifth seed in the men's singles event, defeated Kusuma in a three-game affair 15-6, 9-15 and 15-3 to take his first title on the International Badminton Federation's Grand Prix circuit.

The fourth-seeded Kusuma's loss was the only one of the day for the rampant Indonesian contingent. Susi Susanti, Kusuma's wife, easily defeated surprise finalist Xu Huaiwen of China 11-4 and 11-1 to add the 1997 Vietnam Open women's singles crown to her many titles. Susanti was the top-seed in her event.

In men's doubles, second seeds Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky beat top picks Yoo Yung Sung and Lee Dong Soo of Indonesia 15-11 and 15-5, while in the women's doubles, top seeds Eliza Nathanael and Resiana Zelin won a battle of a final over third-seeded teammates Indarti Isolina and Denyana Lomban 15-11, 12-15 and 15-11.

Bambang Suprianto and Rosalina Riseu, the mixed doubles third-seeds, had earlier in the afternoon taken the first of four titles for Indonesia when they defeated the underrated Korean pair of Lee Dong Soo and Park Soo Yun 15-5 and 15-10.

(dsimmons)