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Grand Prix Finals: Men's Doubles Seeds Stumble

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG Badminton Products and their Western Canada agents - MAAKL Corporation, Saint Albert, Alberta (Tel 780-458-2026/ Fax 780-459-8891) **

December 2, 1999 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - The two seeded pairs in the men's doubles competition at the 1999 World Grand Prix Finals of badminton were defeated in first stage round-robin matchplay today at the indoor stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah Sports Center in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Group A seeds Ha Tae Kwon and Kim Dong Moon of Korea, the current world champions, were upset by Malaysians Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah 5-15, 15-8 and 7-15. Group B picks Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yung Sung, another Korean pair, fell to Tony Gunawan and Chandra Wijaya of Indonesia 9-15 and 11-15.

The defeat of the group seeds tightens up the race for the semifinal places in the men's doubles event with all of the four pairs in each group still having a mathematical chance at moving ahead into the next stage. Choong and Lee as well as Gunawan and Wijaya though are in the strongest positions with the two pairs sitting on top of the standings in their respective groups with 2 win and no loss records.

In the men's singles contest, Malaysia's Wong Choon Hann, who yesterday upset the seeded Indonesian Taufik Hidayat in Group C action, came back from a 9-14 deficit in the opening game of his match with Luo Yigang of China and beat the Chinese player 17-14 and 15-5. The Malaysian ace's victory puts him closer to a semifinal berth as the Group C winner.

In men's singles Group A, Heryanto Arbi of Indonesia was unable to play his match against world champion Sun Jun because of a stomach ailment. The walkover gave Sun an extra day to rest his injured back, but did not improve the world champion's record any because tournament rules call for all results involving players who are unable to start a match to be discarded when determining group standings.

Sun and Marleve Mainaky who both sport 1 win and no loss records play each other tomorrow in the last day of the round-robin stage. The victor in their match will win Group A and will move ahead into the semifinals.

In men's singles Group D, Hendrawan of Indonesia upended group seed Poul-Erik Hoyer of Denmark 15-9 and 15-10 to take leadership of the pool with a 2 win and no loss record.

In women's doubles, Joanne Goode of England who injured her lower back during a match yesterday pulled out of the tournament. She was paired with Donna Kellogg. Goode is also out of the mixed doubles competition where she was partnered with Simon Archer.

Meanwhile, the lucky Indonesian pair of Etty Tantri and Cynthia Tuwankotta, clinched a berth in the semifinals with a victory today. They defeated Ann Jorgensen and Majken Vange of Denmark 15-13, 9-15 and 15-10 and tied with Korean Group B seeds Chung Jae Hee and Ra Kyung Min for the leadership of their pool.

Tantri and Tuwankotta got into the tournament at the last minute because of the withdrawal of Huang Nanyan and Yang Wei of China. Their last-minute inclusion ensured that the Indonesian string of having an entry in all five events since the World Grand Prix Finals began featuring all five competitions went unbroken.

The lucky pair then got luckier yesterday when they did not have to play the tough Chinese pair of Gao Ling and Qin Yiyuan of China. Gao and Qin withdrew from the tournament because of an injury to Qin.

Following are the results of today's matches (* before player's name indicates a group seed):

Men's Singles
Group A - *Sun Jun (China) beat Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia) by walkover; Marleve Mainaky (Indonesia) beat Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia) 15-12, 15-10
Group B - *Peter Gade (Denmark) beat Ji Xinpeng (China) 15-8, 15-9; Chen Hong (China) beat Budi Santoso (Indonesia) 13-15, 15-11, 15-8
Group C - *Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) beat Xia Xuanze (China) 15-10, 15-10; Wong Choong Hann (Malaysia) beat Luo Yigang (China) 17-14, 15-5
Group D - Hendrawan (Indonesia) beat Poul-Erik Hoyer (Denmark) 15-9, 15-10; Fung Permadi (Taiwan) beat Chen Gang (China) 11-15, 15-7, 15-8

Women's Singles
Group A - Cindana H. Kusuma (Indonesia) beat Yasuko Mizui (Japan) 11-5, 11-7; *Dai Yun (China) - bye
Group B - Zhang Ning (China) beat Kim Ji Hyun (Korea) 11-1, 11-3; *Ye Zhaoying - bye
Group C - *Gong Zhichao (China) beat Lidya Djaelawidjaya (Indonesia) 11-3, 11-4; Camilla Martin (Denmark) - bye
Group D - Zhou Mi (China) beat Mette Sorensen (Denmark) 11-3, 11-1; *Gong Ruina - bye

Men's Doubles
Group A - Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah (Malaysia) beat *Ha Tae Kwon and Kim Dong Moon (Korea) 15-5, 8-15, 15-7; Antonius Budi Iriantho and Denny Kantono Indonesia) beat Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen (Denmark) 15-8, 15-10
Group B - Tony Gunawan and Chandra Wijaya (Indonesia) beat *Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yung Sung (Korea) 15-9, 15-11; Eng Hian and Flandy Limpele (Indonesia) beat Simon Archer and Nathan Robertson (England) 15-11, 6-15, 15-7

Women's Doubles
Group A - *Ge Fei (China) and Gu Jun (China) beat Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen (Denmark) 15-3, 15-9; Chen Lin and Jiang Xuelian (China) beat Joanne Goode and Donna Kellogg (England) by walkover
Group B - *Chung Jae Hee and Ra Kyung Min (Korea) beat Gao Ling and Qin Yiyuan (China) by walkover; Etty Tantri and Cynthia Tuwankotta (Indonesia) beat Ann Jorgensen and Majken Vange (Denmark) 15-13, 9-15, 15-10

Mixed Doubles
Group A - *Ms. Ge Fei and Mr. Liu Yong (China) beat Ms. Rikke Olsen and Mr. Michael Sogaard (Denmark) 16-17, 15-8, 15-8; Ms. Chung Jae Hee and Mr. Ha Tae Kwon (Korea) beat Mr. Bambang Suprianto and Ms. Resiana Zelin (Indonesia) 15-10, 17-14
Group B - *Mr. Kim Dong Moon and Ms. Ra Kyung Min (Korea) beat Mr. Simon Archer and Ms. Joanne Goode (England) by walkover; Mr. Tri Kusheryanto and Ms. Minarti Timur (Indonesia) beat Mr. Jon Holst-Christensen and Ms. Ann Jorgensen (Denmark) 15-12, 15-8

Following are the standings after today's matches (* before player's name indicates a group seed):

Men's Singles
Group A
*Sun Jun (China) 1 match won - 0 lost (2 games won - 0 lost)
Marleve Mainaky (Indonesia) 1-0 (2-0)
Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia) 0-2 (0-4)
Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia) 0-0 (0-0)
Group B
*Peter Gade (Denmark) 2-0 (4-0)
Chen Hong (China) 2-0 (4-1)
Budi Santoso (Indonesia) 0-2 (1-4)
Ji Xinpeng (China) 0-2 (0-4)
Group C
Wong Choon Hann (Malaysia) 2-0 (4-1)
*Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) 1-1 (3-2)
Luo Yigang (China) 1-1 (2-3)
Xia Xuanze (China) 0-2 (1-4)
Group D
Hendrawan (Indonesia) 2-0 (4-1)
Fung Permadi (Taiwan) 1-1 (3-3)
*Poul-Erik Hoyer (Denmark) 1-1 (2-3)
Chen Gang 0-2 (2-4)

Women's Singles
Group A
*Dai Yun (China) 1-0 (2-0)
Cindana H. Kusuma (Indonesia) 1-1 (2-2)
Yasuko Mizui (Japan) 0-1 (0-2)
Group B
*Ye Zhaoying (China) 1-0 (2-1)
Zhang Ning (China) 1-1 (3-2)
Kim Ji Hyun (Korea) 0-1 (0-2)
Group C
*Gong Zhichao (China) 1-0 (2-0)
Camilla Martin (Denmark) 1-0 (2-0)
Lidya Djaelawidjaya (Indonesia) 0-2 (0-4)
Group D
Zhou Mi (China) 2-0 (4-1)
*Gong Ruina (China) 0-1 (1-2)
Mette Sorensen (Denmark) 0-1 (0-2)

Men's Doubles
Group A
Choong T.F. and Lee W.W. (Malaysia) 2-0 (4-1)
*Ha T.K. and Kim D.M. (Korea) 1-1 (3-2)
A.B. Iriantho and D. Kantono (Indonesia) 1-1 (2-2)
J. Eriksen and J. Larsen (Denmark) 0-2 (0-4)
Group B
T. Gunawan and C. Wijaya (Indonesia) 2-0 (4-1)
E. Hian and F. Limpele (Indonesia) 1-1 (3-3)
*Lee D.S. and Yoo Y.S. (Korea) 1-1 (2-3)
S. Archer and N. Robertson (England) 0-2 (2-4)

Women's Doubles
Group A
*Ge F. and Gu J. (China) 2-0 (4-1)
Chen L. and Jiang X. (China) 0-1 (1-2)
H. Kirkegaard and R. Olsen (Denmark) 0-1 (0-2)
J. Goode and D. Kellogg (England) 0-0 (0-0)
Group B
*Chung J.H. and Ra K.M. (Korea) 1-0 (2-0)
E. Tantri and C. Tuwankotta (Indonesia) 1-0 (2-1)
A. Jorgensen and M. Vange (Denmark) 0-2 (1-4)
Gao L. and Qin Y. (China) 0-0 (0-0)

Mixed Doubles
Group A
*Ge F. and Liu Y. (China) 2-0 (4-1)
B. Suprianto and R. Zelin (Indonesia) 1-1 (2-2)
Chung J.H. and Ha T.K. (Korea) 1-1 (2-2)
R. Olsen and M. Sogaard (Denmark) 0-2 (1-4)
Group B
*Kim D.M. and Ra K.M. (Korea) 1-0 (2-0)
T. Kusheryanto and M. Timur (Indonesia) 1-1 (2-2)
J. Holst-Christensen and A. Jorgensen (Denmark) 0-1 (0-2)
S. Archer and J. Goode (England) 0-0 (0-0)

Following are tomorrow's matchups (* before player's name indicates a group seed; play starts at 3:00pm Brunei time):

Men's Singles
Group A
*Sun Jun (China) vs. Marleve Mainaky (Indonesia)
Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia) vs. Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia)
Group B
Chen Hong (China) vs. *Peter Gade (Denmark)
Ji Xinpeng (China) vs. Budi Santoso (Indonesia)
Group C
Luo Yigang (China) vs. *Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
Xia Xuanze (China) vs. Wong Choon Hann (Malaysia)
Group D
*Poul-Erik Hoyer (Denmark) vs. Fung Permadi (Taiwan)
Chen Gang (China) vs. Hendrawan (Indonesia)

Women's Singles
Group A
*Dai Yun (China) vs. Yasuko Mizui (Japan)
Cindana H. Kusuma (Indonesia) - bye
Group B
*Ye Zhaoying (China) vs. Kim Ji Hyun (Korea)
Zhang Ning (China) - bye
Group C
*Gong Zhichao (China) vs. Camilla Martin (Denmark)
Lidya Djaelawidjaya - bye
Group D
*Gong Ruina (China) vs. Mette Sorensen (Denmark)
Zhou Mi (China) - bye

Men's Doubles
Group A
J. Eriksen and J. Larsen (Denmark) vs. *Ha T.K. and Kim D.M. (Korea)
Choong T.F. and Lee W.W. (Malaysia) vs. D. Kantono and A.B. Iriantho (Indonesia)
Group B
E. Hian and F. Limpele (Indonesia) vs. *Lee D.S. and Yoo Y.S. (Korea)
S. Archer and N. Robertson (England) vs. T. Gunawan and C. Wijaya (Indonesia)
vs.

Women's Doubles
Group A
*Ge F. and Gu J. (China) vs. J. Goode and D. Kellogg (England)
Chen L. and Jiang X. (China) vs. H. Kirkegaard and R. Olsen (Denmark)
Group B
*Chung J.H. and Ra K.M. (Korea) vs. E. Tantri and C. Tuwankotta (Indonesia)
Gao L. and Qin Y. (China) vs. A. Jorgensen and M. Vange (Denmark)

Mixed Doubles
Group A
*Ms. Ge F. and Mr. Liu Y. (China) vs. Mr. B. Suprianto and Ms. R. Zelin (Indonesia)
Ms. R. Olsen and Mr. M. Sogaard (Denmark) vs. Ms. Chung J.H. and Mr. Ha T.K. (Korea)
Group B
Mr. J. Holst-Christensen and Ms. A. Jorgensen (Denmark) vs. *Mr. Kim D.M. and Ms. Ra K.M. (Korea)
Mr. S. Archer and Ms. J. Goode (England) vs. Mr. T. Kusheryanto and Ms. M. Timur (Indonesia)

(yyna/ds)