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Indonesian Open: Indonesians Near A Sweep

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG Badminton Products< and A> and their Ontario (Canada) agents - SHAH Enterprises **

September 4, 1999 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Indonesian competitors won nine of the ten semifinal matches today at the Indonesian Open badminton championships in Denpasar, Bali to guarantee the host country 4 titles with an even chance of winning a fifth. The men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles and mixed doubles matches today all went Indonesia's way to set up 4 all-Indonesian finals tomorrow. In women's doubles, Denmark's Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen survived the Indonesian tidal wave and defeated Etty Tantri and Cynthia Tuwankotta of Indonesia 15-7 and 17-14 to become the only visiting players to still have a chance for a title.

Kirkegaard and Olsen will face Indonesians Eliza Nathanael and Deyana Lomban in tomorrow's championship match. Nathanael and Lomban beat their teammates Emma Ermawati and Vita Marissa in their semifinal contest 17-14 and 15-10.

In men's singles semifinal action, eighteen year-old Taufik Hidayat beat fellow Indonesian Hendrawan 15-13 and 15-12. The two teammates engaged in a closely fought contest that featured many clearing rallies punctuated by leaping smashes, with Hidayat outsteadying Hendrawan in the latter stages of the two games.

Budi Santoso, a finalist at last year's Indonesian Open, won a place in the finals once more. He came back from a first game setback in today's semifinal against teammate Marleve Mainaky to win the next two and a place in the championship match.

After winning the first set handily at 15-8, Mainaky began to tire in the middle of the second game. His shots began to lose length and power. Santoso then gained control of the play to squeeze out a second set win at 15-13. In the third set, Mainaky was really out of energy and Santoso dominated the rallies to win at 15-2.

Lidya Djaelawidjaya and Ellen Angelinawati won the women's singles semifinal matches. Djaelawidjaya beat her young teammate Yuli Marfuah 3-11, 11-4 and 11-6, while Angelinawati defeated Mette Pedersen of Denmark 11-9 and 11-3.

Men's doubles top seeds Chandra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan defeated Denmark's Michael Sogaard and Jim Laugesen 15-0, 14-17 and 15-5, and Olympic champions Rexy Mainaky and Ricky Subagja put out another Danish combination, Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen, 15-10 and 15-5 to set up an all-Indonesian men's doubles final.

It was a tough day all around for Michael Sogaard. He was also eliminated in the mixed doubles event, where he and partner Rikke Olsen were the top seeds. The Danish pair were upended by Bambang Suprianto and Resiana Zelin. Sogaard and Olsen's game collapsed in the third. After winning the first 15-13 and then dropping the second in a tiebreak at 15-17, the Danes were trounced 15-2.

Suprianto and Zelin will face defending champions and five-time titleists Tri Kusheryanto and Minarti Timur in tomorrow's mixed doubles final. Kusheryanto and Timur defeated their compatriots Wahyu Agung and Emma Ermawati 15-9 and 15-7.

(yyn/ds)