WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALS: GADE, DONG SURVIVE TOUGH OPENERS

** 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 **

December 11, 1997 (NEW SHUTLENWS) - Two of the world's top badminton men's singles players yesterday survived tough opening matches in the first round of the World Grand Prix Finals being held in Jakarta, Indonesia. World number one Peter Gade-Christensen of Denmark and world number two Dong Jiong of China both had to come back from first game losses before they were able to pull out victories yesterday.

Gade had his hands full against an aggressive Alan Budi Kusuma. Kusuma, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist from Indonesia, used attacking tactics against the nervous Danish youth to take the first game 15-7. Gade settled down and played more like the world number one to win the next two games and the match 15-8 and 15-12 after more than 1 hour of play.

Dong also had a tough time against Hendrawan of Indonesia. The Chinese ace pulled out the first game 17-14 after being held to deuce at 14-all. Hendrawan fought back to win the second 15-12 and was battling Dong in the third when he suffered cramps in the right leg. The cramping took the sting out of the Indonesian and Dong won the third 15-8.

In a major surprise, an error-prone Hariyanto Arbi of Indonesia, the 1995 world champion, was upset by teammate Marlev Mainaky 11-15 and 11-15.

Another upset victim yesterday was Camilla Martin of Denmark who lost to China's Wang Chen 11-7 and 11-3 in the women's singles event.

Arbi, Martin, and the other losers yesterday have to win the rest of their matches in the round-robin phase and hope that their conquerors lose in order for them to have a chance to move on to Saturday's semifinals.

Yesterday's results:

MEN'S SINGLES
Group A: Peter Gade-Christensen (Denmark) beat Alan Budi Kusuma (Indonesia) 7-15, 15-8, 15-12
Luo Yigang (China) beat Budi Santoso (Indonesia) 11-15, 15-12, 15-5
Group B: Sun Jun (China) beat Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen (Denmark) 15-2 18-14
Marlev Mainaky (Indonesia) beat Hariyanto Arbi (Indonesia) 15-11, 15-11
Group C: Dong Jiong (China) beat Hendrawan (Indonesia) 17-14, 12-15, 15-8
Peter Rasmussen (Denmark) beat Ardy Wiranata (Indonesia) 15-12, 15-7
Group D: Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (Denmark) beat Chen Gang (China) 15-7, 15-10
Hermawan Susanto (Indonesia) beat Indra Wijaya (Indonesia) 15-9,17-14

WOMEN'S SINGLES
Group A: Zhang Ning (China) beat Dai Yun (China) 11-5, 11-6
Group B: Gong Zhichao (China) beat Zeng Yaqiong (China) 11-3, 11-6
Group C: Ye Zhaoying (China) beat Kim Ji Hyun (Korea) 11-3, 11-6
Group D: Wang Chen (China) beat Camilla Martin (Denmark) 11-7, 11-3

MEN'S DOUBLES
Group A: Chandra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto (Indonesia) beat Hermono/Eng Hian (Indonesia) 15-3, 15-11
Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (Malaysia) beat Jon Holst-Christensen/Michael Sogaard (Denmark) 15-11, 18-16
Group B: Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Yung Sung (Korea) beat Jens Eriksen/Jesper Larsen (Denmark) 16-18, 15-7, 15-12
Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (Indonesia) beat Denny Kantono/Antonius Iriantho (Indonesia) 15-9, 15-10

WOMEN'S DOUBLES
Group A: Ge Fei/Gu Jun (China) beat Haruko Matsuda/Yoshiko Iwata (Japan) 15-0, 15-6
Indarti Isolina/Denyana Lomban (Indonesia) beat Qiang Hong/Liu Lu (China) 13-18, 15-12, 15-5
Group B: Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu (China) beat Liu Zhong/Huang Nanyan (China) 15-9, 15-11
Eliza Nathanael/Resiana Zelin (Indonesia) beat Helene Kirkegaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark) 15-5, 15-9

MIXED DOUBLES
Group A: Trikus Heryanto/Minarti Timur (Indonesia) beat Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark) 15-2, 15-11
Liu Yong/Ge Fei (China) beat Imam Tohari/Ema Ermawati (Indonesia) 15-13, 13-15, 15-11
Group B: Jens Eriksen/Marlene Thomsen (Denmark) beat Chris Hunt/Donna Kellogg (England)15-10, 15-6
Bambang Suprianto/Rosalina Riseu (Indonesia) beat Sandiarto/Finarsih (Indonesia) 15,10, 10-15, 15-2

(fontanilla/dsimmons)