** HELP!!! Keep NEW SHUTTLENWS going - BUY our sponsor's products. **

DENMARK: THE PHANTOM STRIKES AGAIN

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

February 8, 1999 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Men's singles world champion Peter Rasmussen, nicknamed the Phantom or Batman by badminton fans in his native Denmark because of his fondness for wearing black on court, captured his second Danish national title yesterday at Roskilde when he beat Kenneth Jonassen in the final, 6-15, 15-7 and 15-1. Rasmussen who was hampered by injury last year showed more and more of the dynamic, jumpsmashing style with which he won the world title in 1997 in his victory yesterday at the Danish championships.

Rasmussen was tentative and erratic in the opening game. In the second, he began to find his timing and aim. His jumpsmashes began to get thru Jonassen's defenses and his own blocking and retrieving put a stopper on his opponent's powershots. Jonassen also began to labor in his movement and seemed to have problems with his right leg.

During the five-minute break after Rasmussen had equalized the match at 1 set apiece, Jonassen needed medical assistance with his problem leg. The therapy allowed Jonassen to continue with the match but that was all it did. He was not very mobile and Rasmussen quickly exploited Jonassen's weakness by powering smash after smash at his opponent as well as combining elegant drops and fast clears with his powershots. The gutsy Jonassen tried mightily to defend but the world champion was too powerful for Jonassen to battle with only one good leg.

The Danish title is Rasmussen's second. He won his first in 1997, three months before he captured the world championship.

Aside from his victory over Jonassen yesterday, Rasmussen had another quality win in the quarterfinals when he beat Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen 15-11 and 15-7.

The current men's singles world number one, Peter Gade, did not compete. Gade had contracted a very bad case of the flu in January and had had to withdraw from the Korean and Taipei Opens. He had not been able to train for several weeks and was not in any condition to participate in the tournament.

Other Danish championship results:

Men's Singles
Semifinals
Kenneth Jonassen (Herning) beat Kim Nielsen (Karlsrunde) 15-7, 15-2
Peter Rasmussen (Hillerod) beat Niels Christian Kaldau (Horsens) 15-12, 15-10

Women's Singles
Semifinals
Camilla Martin (Gentofte) beat Christina Sorensen (Horsens) 11-0, 11-2
Mette Pedersen (Skovshoved) beat Mette Sorensen (Aalborg) 11-4, 2-11, 11-6
Final
Martin beat Pedersen 11-6, 11-5

Men's Doubles
Semifinals
Jens Eriksen/Jesper Larsen (Hvidovre) beat Jon Holst-Christensen/Thomas Stavngaard (Lillerod) 17-15, 15-4
Jesper Mikla (Gentofte)/Lars Paaske (Skovshoved) beat Janek Roos/Michael Sogaard (Kastrup) 15-8, 3-15, 17-15
Final
Eriksen/Larsen beat Mikla/Paaske 15-1, 15-6

Women's Doubles
Semifinals
Ann-Lou Jorgensen (Kastrup)/Mette Schjoldager (Hvidovre) beat Gitte Jansson (Skovshoved)/Rikke Olsen (Kastrup) 15-5, 15-10
Ann Jorgensen (Lillerod)/Majken Vange (Gentofte) beat Pernille Harder (Kastrup)/Helene Kirkegaard (Lillerod) 17-14, 15-2
Final
A-L Jorgensen/Schjoldager beat A Jorgensen/Vange 15-8, 15-5

Mixed Doubles
Ann Jorgensen/Jon Holst-Christensen (Lillerod) beat Helene Kirkegaard (Lillerod)/Janek Roos (Kastrup) 15-4, 15-2
Rike Olsen/Michael Sogaard (Kastrup) beat Jane Bramsen (Horsens)/Lars Paaske (Skovshoved) 15-7, 12-15, 15-7
Final
Olsen/Sogaard beat A Jorgensen/Holst-Christensen 15-11, 15-12

(ers/ds)

** HELP!!! Keep NEW SHUTTLENWS going - BUY our sponsor's products. **