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SINGAPORE KONICA OPEN: DANES TOP-SEEDS IN BOTH SINGLES AND MIXED

August 11, 1998 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Players from Denmark top the list of entries at the Singapore Konica Open badminton championships that start tomorrow at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Men's singles world number one Peter Gade-Christensen is the top seed in his event. Camilla Martin, his counterpart in women's singles, is also a top pick ahead of the powerful Chinese women. In mixed doubles, Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen have drawn the first position.

Indonesia's Tony Gunawan and Halim Haryanto are the top seeds in the men's doubles, while Olympic and world champions Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China lead the women's doubles entries.

The seedings for the tournament have been on the controversial side with the new Chinese men's doubles pair of Zhang Wei and Zhang Jun being picked second ahead of Olympic champions Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky, and mixed doubles part-timers Luo Yigang and Qin Yiyuan being assigned the second seed. The seedings have been done under revised guidelines that put more emphasis on recent tournament results rather than world rankings alone.

The Singapore Konica Open is only the third five-star tournament in the major international badminton tournament circuit this year. Many of the others, like the Korean and Indonesian Opens, have not been held or, like the Malaysian Open, have had reduced purses due to the Asian economic crisis.

Men's Singles Seeds
1 - Peter Gade-Christensen (Denmark)
2 - Sun Jun (China)
3 - Luo Yigang (China)
4 - Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia)
5 - Dong Jiong (China)
6 - Poul Erik Hoyer-Larsen (Denmark)
7 - Yong Hock Kin (Malaysia)
8 - Hendrawan (Indonesia)
9 - Chen Gang (China)
10 - M. Roslin Hashim (Malaysia)
11 - Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia)
12 - Marleve Mainaky (Indonesia)
13 - Rashid Sidek (Malaysia)
14 - Fung Permadi (Taiwan)
15 - Wong Choon Hann (Malaysia)
16 - Budi Santoso (Indonesia)

Women's Singles Seeds
1 - Camilla Martin (Denmark)
2 - Gong Zhichao (China)
3 - Zhang Ning (China)
4 - Ye Zhaoying (China)
5 - Dai Yun (China)
6 - Susi Susanti (Indonesia)
7 - Mia Audina (Indonesia)
8 - Zeng Yaqiong (China)

Men's Doubles
1 - Tony Gunawan/Halim Haryanto (Indonesia)
2 - Zhang Wei/Zhang Jun (China)
3 - Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (Indonesia)
4 - Siripong Siripol/Pramote Teerawiwatana (Thailand)
5 - Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah (Malaysia)
6 - Denny Kantono/Antonius Budi Irianto (Indonesia)
7 - Chandra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto (Indonesia)
8 - Quinten Van Dalm/Dennis Lens (Netherlands)

Women's Doubles
1 - Ge Fei/Gu Jun (China)
2 - Qin Yiyuan/Tang Yongshu (China)
3 - Ann Jorgensen/Majken Vange (Denmark)
4 - Nicole Van Hooren/Lotte Jonathans (Netherlands)
5 - Rosiana Zelin/Indarti Isolina (Indonesia)
6 - Eliza Natanael/Deyana Lomban (Indonesia)
7 - Ishwari Boopathy/Woon Sze Mei (Malaysia)
8 - Lim Pek Siah/Choor Hooi Yee (Malaysia)

Mixed Doubles
1 - Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark)
2 - Luo Yigang/Qin Yiyuan (China)
(the names of seeds 3-8 were not available)

(dsimmons)