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COPENHAGEN MASTERS: SUN JUN BEST OF THE BEST TODAY

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG Badminton Products and their Western USA agents BADMINTON ALLEY. **

December 29, 1998 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - China's Sun Jun, ranked world number two in badminton men's singles for most of 1998, proved tonight in the Cirkusbygningen hall in Copenhagen that he was, at least for one tournament, the best of the best. Sun, currently number four on the world ranking list, beat world number one Peter Gade of Denmark in the final of the Copenhagen Masters all-star tournament 15-7 and 15-12.

The final started off as though Gade would indeed prove himself to be the best of the best when he gained a 7-3 lead in the first set with the same fast and aggressive play with which he had demolished world number two Yong Hock Kin of Malaysia yesterday and Indra Wijaya of Indonesia the day before in the round-robin elimination phase.

Sun Jun, the defending champion, though must have gotten the hang of Gade's tactics and strokes in those early moments because he started to cover and return Gade's shots better and also began to control the net and the tempo of the rallies.

The Chinese ace crept back notching two points to take the score to 5-7 and then, after holding Gade scoreless on his service turn, went on a run of six points to gain control of the set 11-7. He continued to defend well against Gade on the Dane's serve, holding him without a point, while he went on to score 4 to win the set.

In the second game, Sun was in full flight. He took the lead after an early exchange points at 1-all and built up a five point advantage before Gade was able to break thru Sun's defense for three markers. The Chinese ace though did not break and continued to play near-flawless badminton as he again pulled away to 12-8 and 13-9 leads.

Gade showed his spirit and class as he fought back to close in to a single point 12-13. Sun again did not break and controlled the tempo, the net and the play as he notched the two winning points against a visibly disappointed world number one.

Sun's victory was one of two for China in tonight's finals. In the women's singles championship match, an all-China affair, Zhang Ning defeated Zeng Yaqiong 7-11, 11-7 and 11-1. Zhang had earlier in the day assured China of the women's singles title when she beat Mia Audina of Indonesia 13-12 and 11-5 to book her place as the finalist from Pool 2. Zeng had claimed her spot in the championship match yesterday as the Pool 1 finalist when she upset world number one Camilla Martin of Denmark.

In the men's doubles final, Denmark's Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen gave the 2,000 strong home crowd a delightful suprise when they beat the Indonesian pairing of Olympic champion Ricky Subagja and Olympic bronze medalist Antonius Iriantho 15-9 and 15-4. The match was more one-sided than one would expect from an Indonesian side of the quality of Subagja and Antonius. However ,the Danish attack was very strong tonight with the power and angles of Eriksen's and Larsen's shots often finding the weaknesses in the Indonesian defense.

Results of the other matches held earlier today:

Women's Singles Pool Play
Pool 1
Camilla Martin (Denmark) beat Kelly Morgan (Wales) 11-3, 11-7

Men's Doubles Pool Play
Pool 2
Jens Eriksen/Jesper Larsen (Denmark) beat Zhang Jun/Zhang Wei (China) 13-15, 15-9, 15-2

(es/ds)

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