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

Polish Open: Aussie Unknown Gains Singles Final

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

March 27, 1999 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Little-known Rio Suryana of Australia continued to be the surprise player at the one-star Polish Open badminton championships now underway at the Polish Olympic Centre in Spala. Suryana who is listed at number 176 in the world men's singles rankings gained a spot in tomorrow's championship match by beating Alvin Chew of Malaysia 15-5 and 15-7 this afternoon in the semifinals.

Suryana, reportedly an Indonesian now living and playing in Australia, had upended top-seed Daniel Eriksson of Sweden 15-10, 6-15 and 15-12 in the second round after both had had a bye in the opening stage. Suryana next put out Nabil Lasmari of France 15-8 and 15-13 in the round-of-16 and then Kasper Oedum of Denmark 15-10, 5-15 and 15-3 in the quarterfinals.

Suryana will play Richard Vaughn of Wales in tomorrow's men's singles final. Vaughan today beat Martin Hagberg of Sweden 11-15, 15-9 and 15-5 to earn his place in the championship match.

In an all-Hong Kong mixed doubles final that was played late this afternoon, Ma Che Kong and Koon Wai Chee beat Yau Kwan Yuen and Chan Mei Mei 15-6 and 15-3 to take top honors in the event.

Due to the one-star rating of the Polish Open, the world's super-elite players have given the tournament a pass and have stayed home to rest up and prepare for the five-star Japan Open slated for the second week of April and the world championships in mid-May.

The American pair of Chris Hales and Mike Edstrom and the Canadian tandem of Bobby and Will Milroy reached the quarterfinals of the men's doubles event before bowing out of the tourney. The women's doubles combination of Lily Chen and Yeping Tang, both of the USA, also reached the quarterfinals.

Following are some unofficial Polish Open results:

Men's Singles
Quarterfinals (played late Friday afternoon)
Rio Suryana (Australia) beat Kasper Oedum (Denmark) 15-10, 5-15, 15-3
Alvin Chew (Malaysia) beat Yeoh Bin Kay (Malaysia) 15-10, 15-10
Martin Hagberg (Sweden) beat Joachim Fischer (Denmark) 9-4 (Fischer retired with an injury)
Richard Vaughan (Wales) beat Rasmus Wengberg (Sweden) by walkover
Semifinals (played this afternoon)
Suryana beat Chew 15-5, 15-7
Vaughan beat Hagberg 11-15, 15-9, 15-5

Women's Singles
Quarterfinals (played Friday afternoon)
Chan Mei Mei (Hong Kong) beat Katja Michalowsky (Germany) 11-9, 11-8
Ling Wan Ting (Hong Kong) beat Johanna Holgersson (Sweden) 11-1, 11-9
Ng Mee Fen (Malaysia) beat Sandra Dimbour (France) 9-11, 11-6, 11-8
Elena Nozdran (Ukraine) beat Koon Wai Chee (Hong Kong) 11-5, 11-6
Semifinals (played this afternoon)
Ling beat Chan 11-5, 11-1
Nozdran beat Ng 11-4, 11-3

Men's Doubles
Quarterfinals (played late Friday afternoon)
Ma Che Kong and Yau Kwan Yuen (Hong Kong) beat Robert and William Milroy (Canada) 1-15, 15-7, 15-9
Manuel Dubrulle and Vincent Laigle (France) beat Antti Koljonen and Kasperi Salo (Finland) 15-5, 15-6
Michal Logosz and Robert Mateusiak (Poland) beat Chris Hales and Michael Edstrom (USA) 15-12, 15-7
Fredrik Bergstrom and Henrik Andersson (Sweden) beat Joachim Fischer and Kasper Oedum (Denmark) 15-11, 5-15, 17-14
Semifinals (played this afternoon)
Ma and Yau beat Dubrulle and Laigle 15-7, 15-6
Logosz and Mateusiak beat Bergstrom and Andersson 15-6, 15-6

Women's Doubles
Quarterfinals (played late Friday afternoon)
Elena Nozdran and Victoria Evtoushenko (Ukraine) beat Lily Chen and Yeping Tang (USA) 15-6, 15-8
Chan Mei Mei and Koon Wai Chee (Hong Kong) beat Sandra Dimbour and Tatiana Vattier (France) 15-4, 15-7
Ang Li Peng and Chor Hooi Yee (Malaysia) beat Nadezhda Cherviakova and Natalia Djachkova (Russia) 15-11, 17-14
Natalia Esipenko and Natalia Golovkina (Ukraine) beat Agnese Allegrini and Maria Luise Mur (Italy) 7-15, 15-10, 15-8
Semifinals (played this afternoon)
Nozdran and Evtoushenko beat Chan and Koon 15-11, 15-9
Ang and Chor beat Esipenko and Golovkina 15-9, 15-12

Mixed Doubles
Quarterfinals (played late Friday morning)
Ma Che Kong and Koon Wai Chee (Hong Kong) beat Robert Mateusiak and Monika Bienkowska (Poland) 15-3, 4-14, 15-3
Piotr Zoladek and Kamila Augustyn (Poland) beat Alexander Golubev and Nadezhda Cherviakova (Russia) 17-14, 13-15, 15-11
Valeri Strelkov and Natalia Golovkina (Ukraine) beat Damian Plawecki and Dorota Grzejdak (Poland) 15-10, 15-7
Yau Kwan Yuen and Chan Mei Mei (Hong Kong) beat Mario Carulla Schultz and Adrienn Kocsis (Peru) 15-2, 15-8
Semifinals (played Friday evening)
Ma and Koon beat Zoladek and Augustyn 12-15, 15-8, 15-11
Yau and Chan beat Strelkov and Golovkina 15-4, 15-2
Finals (played this afternoon)
Ma and Koon beat Yau and Chan 15-6, 15-3

(ap/ds)

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