Dev S Sukumar
Hyderabad, 12 September 2005: Twenty-nine years after Hyderabad hosted the Asian Badminton Confederation championships, the ABC returned to the city. As in 1976, Indonesia had a representative in the men's singles final: Sony Dwi Kuncoro was to play Malaysian Kuan Beng Hong for the title.
Of course, back in 1976, King was facing a much more formidable opponent. Badminton enthusiasts still remember the day when China's Hou Chia Chang produced a masterful display of control and deception to weave a web around King, who was more than ten years younger than him. The ABC was the highlight of the badminton season of that year in India, and Hou Chia crafted a climactic display that has only rarely been equalled.
Sony Dwi Kuncoro did what King couldn't all those years ago, when he beat Hong for the crown. Later, his team mates Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido made it a memorable day for their country when they annexed the men's doubles title, with an impeccable display against Lee Jae Jin and Jung Jae Sung of Korea.
Lee Jae Jin had also lost in the mixed doubles final; he and partner Lee Hyo Jung failed narrowly to pull off a dramatic three-game final against Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thounghthongkam. Lee Hyo Jung was more fortunate, as she won the women's doubles title along with Lee Kyung Won.
The women's singles gold went to Wang Chen of Hong Kong, who breezed through her opposition with nonchalant ease.
Boonsak troubles Kuncoro:
Kuncoro's stiffest test actually came in the quarterfinals. Boonsak Ponsana, all wristy deception and fluid feet, won the first game before the Olympic bronze medallist dug in deep and rose to a higher level. The match was a final before the final; Kuncoro's thundering jump smashes and Boonsak's sublime touch at the net producing a fine exhibition of badminton.
Wang Chen, meanwhile, had summarily dismissed all opposition. There was none to challenge her breathtaking crosscourt drops or the half-smashes on both flanks; and it was a matter of regret that the Chinese had decided against participating.
The doubles matches, as always, were stiffly fought. Lee Jae Jin and Jung Jae Sung, the world No.6 pair, were expected to win, but Setiawan and Kido had it surprisingly easy in the final. Perhaps Jae Jin was hampered by his heavily strapped right shoulder and the efforts of the mixed doubles final earlier on Sunday.
Despite the tight contest in the mixed doubles final, Sudket and Saralee were the overwheling favourites. Sudket was awesome, leaping a few feet in the air and nailing smashes with blood-curdling ferocity; Saralee sharp at the net and smashing powerfully when the need arose. The Thais demolished their opponents in the semis and quarters, and it took all the craft and power of Jae Jin and Hyo Jung to hold them up temporarily in the final. The Koreans won a close second game 17-14, and kept apace till 10-12 in the decider. But Sudket and Saralee had too many bullets left in their arsenal, and powered to the gold withouth giving one more point.
Saralee-Sathinee upset:
The big upset in the women's doubles was of Saralee T and Sathinee J in the quarterfinals, to the recent combination of Jo Novita and Greysia Polii of Indonesia. Novita and Polii have partnered in only three tournaments before this, but they played with supreme confidence, attacking and defending with equal felicity. In the semis, however, they ran into Reiko Shiota and Kumako Ogura, who played a smart tactical match -- chalked out perhaps by doubles legend and Japan coach Park Joo Bong -- and they took the sting out of the Indonesians by tossing everything to the baseline and inviting Polii and Novita to keep hitting. But the Indonesians ran out of steam after a while, and the Japanese eased into the final.
However, in the final awaited the crafty Kyung Won and Hyo Jung. Apart from a brief lapse in the second game, the Koreans were well on top, and coach Park Joo Bong must have had mixed feelings as he left the stadium. None of the Japanese could win a title.
Encouraging show from Indian youngsters:
The Indian performance, particularly from the youngsters, gave cause for cheer. Padkukone Academy-trainee Aditi Mutatkar, having just recovered from a right knee injury, had game point against Wang Chen in the pre-quarterfinal, but the world no.4 just about managed to edge past her 13-10.
Junior champion Saina Nehwal, who is reckoned to be the future of women's badminton in India, had match point at 10-7 in the second game of her pre-quarterfinal against Wong Mew Choo before the Malaysian pulled off a dramatic escape. Wong went on to lose in the quarters.
Another Padukone Academy-trainee, Sagar Chopda, took the first game off eventual semifinalist Lee Hyun Il, while Anand Pawar matched experienced Malaysian Roslin Hashim in the first game before his challenge fell tamely in the second.
India has now a new generation of shuttlers to look up to -- Aditi Mutatkar, Saina Nehwal, Sagar Chopda, Anand Pawar, P Kashyap and Jishnu Sanyal are among those who have shown plenty of promise in recent months.
The best performances, however, came from the more experienced Arvind Bhat and Chetan Anand. Arvind was all over Lee Hyun Il in their quarterfinal bout, but the Indian faltered at game point and the Korean eased through in the second game.
Chetan, having demolished Shoji Sato in their pre-quarterfinal bout, bewildered eventual finalist Kuan Beng Hong in the first game with his array of flicks and slow drops. Beng Hong could only watch helplessly as the Indian threatened to take the match away in quick time. But the effort had slowed down the Indian's legs, the stamina was suspect and the feet weary, and inevitably the Malaysian clawed his way back.
The most encouraging sight at the ABC was the presence of the Iranian women. This was their first international tournament outside their country. They played in a specially-designed outfit that covered them head to toe, having received permission from the ABC earlier. They got plenty of attention from the local press. They recorded all the important matches at Hyderabad, and one is sure the videos will be put to good use.
Results:
MS: Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Kuen Beng Hong (Mas) 15-10, 15-5.
WS: Wang Chen (Hkg) bt Kaori Mori (Jpn) 15-1115-7.
WD: Lee Kyung Won/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Kumako Ogura/ Reiko Shiota (Jpn) 15-13, 8-15, 15-5.
MD: Markis Kido/ Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Lee Jae Jin/ Jung Jae Sung (Kor) 15-11, 15-7.
MXD: Sudket Prapakamol/ Saralee T (Tha) bt Lee Jae Jin/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) 15-11, 14-17, 15-10.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Live from Hyd: Sony is king of ABC
Dev S Sukumar/ badmintonmania.com
Hyderabad, 11 September 2005:
Indonesia can celebrate. Two golds out of the five at stake isn't bad: Sony Dwi Kuncoro and the men's doubles team of Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan returned with top honours to cap a satisfying tournament for Indonesia.
Three countries shared the other three titles. Hong Kong's Wang Chen was expected to win the women's singles and so she did with minimum fuss; Korea's Lee Kyung Won and Lee Hyo Jung weathered a Japanese storm to take the women's doubles gold; while Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thounghthongkam broke Korea's heart in the mixed doubles.
The mixed doubles final, scheduled first on Sunday, was the only nail-biting contest. Sudket was flamboyant as usual, leaping at the back and executing murderous winners; Lee Jae Jin was not far behind; while Saralee and Lee Hyo Jung patrolled the net, jumping at any shuttle that dared rise an inch above the net cord.
The Koreans, having lost the first game at 11 but equalling with a second game win at 17-14, fell slightly behind at 7-12 in the decider. But Jae Jin powered his team on, smashing powerfully to come close at 10-12. It was touch-and-go, but luck favoured the Thais as Saralee's drive fell over after tipping the net cord.
The Thai girl consolidated the advantage, attacking the net, returning everything the Koreans hit at her, and finally nailed a winner. At 10-13 the Koreans still had a chance, but Jae Jin netted his return and the Thais had match point. Ironically, he again netted a drive to hand the match to Sudket and Saralee.
Poor Lee Jae Jin. Playing in two finals this evening, he lost both -- the second, in the company of Jung Jae Sung. His mixed doubles partner, Lee Hyo Jung, however had the satisfaction of taking home a gold in the women's doubles.
Kuncoro, Wang Chen reign:
Both the singles finals were one-sided. Kuan Beng Hong of Malaysia started well, running up a 6-1 lead, but that lasted only until the Indonesian found his rhythm. He leapt at anything that seemed hittable, bringing those vicious crosscourt jump smashes into play, and totally overwhelming the Malaysian. A beautiful slow drop gave him 8-6, while two jump smashes saw him at 11-6. Kuan was being blown away, and the only points that came his way were errors by the Olympic bronze medallist. Occasionally he produced a beauty himself -- a counter dribble that foxed Sony was the highlight of his performance -- but these were too few to bother the Indonesian.
Unlike his semifinal performance against Lee Hyun Il, where he had produced several devastating smashes, Kuan looked tame. The difference, of course, was that Sony was keeping all the shuttles down, not giving the Malaysian the length or the height to smash. At times Sony did toss it into the air, challenging the Malaysian to hit, and he returned whatever thunderbolts Kuan sent down. With nothing else to offer, Kuan's challenge folded up meekly, much as Kaori Mori had against Wang Chen in the women's singles final.
Wang had some trouble in the opening game, but it was an error-strewn performance by both players, and the final never rose to a significant level. Both women seemed tight to begin with, and it was only towards the end of the game that Wang came into her own, leaving her Japanese rival flat-footed with those fabulous cross court drops that she has perfected. Mori tried to increase the pace in the second, but Wang was always a step ahead of her. On the few occasions that Mori broke her serve, she immediately broke back by attacking her rival's service. It was an imperious performance. If only the Chinese had participated, Wang might have shown more of her repertoire. As it was, she jogged through her competition, with only young Indian Aditi Mutatkar threatening to take a game off her in the second round.
"I was a little tight in the beginning," Wang Chen said. "I didn't come in with any particular strategy -- I tried to keep keep her at the back."
Kuncoro was a little bit more elaborate. "I was confident before the final because I have beaten Kuan twice already. I played loose, no tension. In the beginning I was in doubt, I was trying to adjust to his game, but then I attacked."
Asked what role coach Joko Suprianto had in his win, he said: "Joko told me to pressure him from the start, to not give him a chance to hit."
Korean women pip Japanese:
The women's doubles was a strange contest. Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Kyung Won seemed to have everything under control against Kumako Ogura and Reiko Shiota after a first game win, but then they fell back 2-10 in the second. Perhaps Hyo Jung was recovering from her efforts of the first match, the mixed doubles. The Koreans fought back to 8-12 in a single service game, but the Japanese recovered in time to take the next three points.
Whatever rhythm the Japanese had evaporated soon enough, as the Koreans ran away to an 8-1 lead, and Shiota and Ogura never looked like they could make it. Hyo Jung, with her fearsome presence at the net, and Kyung Won rattling in smashes from behind, destroyed whatever tactics the Japanese had worked out.
The final match of the day, the men's doubles, was particularly of interest to Indonesia because Jae Jin and Jae Sung had beaten favourites Hendra Gunawan and Joko Riyadi in the semifinals.
There were no blazing guns, no thundering smashes and diving retrievals. It was almost an anti-climax to an eagerly-awaited final. Few rallies in the first game went beyond four or five strokes. The Indonesians, aware of the destructive smashes on the other side, kept the shuttle down, exploring the angles and trying to outmanoevre the opposition.
It was a particularly effective ploy today by the Indonesians. Jae Jin had already played a tiring mixed doubles final, and he could not get any momentum. Both Setiawan and Kido played soft, resorting to big smashes in spurts, and drawing whatever sting the Koreans had. In such a game of quick exchanges, the Koreans were desperately short of momentum, and the Indonesians notched up point after point with seeming ease. The Koreans kept pace till 7-all in the first.
Their challenge totally fell apart in the second. Kido, erratic at times but brilliant otherwise, and Setiawan, consistent with the soft drops and playing close to the net, did everything right today to take a richly-deserved gold and trigger celebrations in the Indonesian camp.
Results:
MS: Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Kuen Beng Hong (Mas) 15-10, 15-5.
WS: Wang Chen (Hkg) bt Kaori Mori (Jpn) 15-1115-7.
WD: Lee Kyung Won/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Kumako Ogura/ Reiko Shiota (Jpn) 15-13, 8-15, 15-5.
MD: Markis Kido/ Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Lee Jae Jin/ Jung Jae Sung (Kor) 15-11, 15-7.
MXD: Sudket Prapakamol/ Saralee T (Tha) bt Lee Jae Jin/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) 15-11, 14-17, 15-10.
Hyderabad, 11 September 2005:
Indonesia can celebrate. Two golds out of the five at stake isn't bad: Sony Dwi Kuncoro and the men's doubles team of Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan returned with top honours to cap a satisfying tournament for Indonesia.
Three countries shared the other three titles. Hong Kong's Wang Chen was expected to win the women's singles and so she did with minimum fuss; Korea's Lee Kyung Won and Lee Hyo Jung weathered a Japanese storm to take the women's doubles gold; while Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thounghthongkam broke Korea's heart in the mixed doubles.
The mixed doubles final, scheduled first on Sunday, was the only nail-biting contest. Sudket was flamboyant as usual, leaping at the back and executing murderous winners; Lee Jae Jin was not far behind; while Saralee and Lee Hyo Jung patrolled the net, jumping at any shuttle that dared rise an inch above the net cord.
The Koreans, having lost the first game at 11 but equalling with a second game win at 17-14, fell slightly behind at 7-12 in the decider. But Jae Jin powered his team on, smashing powerfully to come close at 10-12. It was touch-and-go, but luck favoured the Thais as Saralee's drive fell over after tipping the net cord.
The Thai girl consolidated the advantage, attacking the net, returning everything the Koreans hit at her, and finally nailed a winner. At 10-13 the Koreans still had a chance, but Jae Jin netted his return and the Thais had match point. Ironically, he again netted a drive to hand the match to Sudket and Saralee.
Poor Lee Jae Jin. Playing in two finals this evening, he lost both -- the second, in the company of Jung Jae Sung. His mixed doubles partner, Lee Hyo Jung, however had the satisfaction of taking home a gold in the women's doubles.
Kuncoro, Wang Chen reign:
Both the singles finals were one-sided. Kuan Beng Hong of Malaysia started well, running up a 6-1 lead, but that lasted only until the Indonesian found his rhythm. He leapt at anything that seemed hittable, bringing those vicious crosscourt jump smashes into play, and totally overwhelming the Malaysian. A beautiful slow drop gave him 8-6, while two jump smashes saw him at 11-6. Kuan was being blown away, and the only points that came his way were errors by the Olympic bronze medallist. Occasionally he produced a beauty himself -- a counter dribble that foxed Sony was the highlight of his performance -- but these were too few to bother the Indonesian.
Unlike his semifinal performance against Lee Hyun Il, where he had produced several devastating smashes, Kuan looked tame. The difference, of course, was that Sony was keeping all the shuttles down, not giving the Malaysian the length or the height to smash. At times Sony did toss it into the air, challenging the Malaysian to hit, and he returned whatever thunderbolts Kuan sent down. With nothing else to offer, Kuan's challenge folded up meekly, much as Kaori Mori had against Wang Chen in the women's singles final.
Wang had some trouble in the opening game, but it was an error-strewn performance by both players, and the final never rose to a significant level. Both women seemed tight to begin with, and it was only towards the end of the game that Wang came into her own, leaving her Japanese rival flat-footed with those fabulous cross court drops that she has perfected. Mori tried to increase the pace in the second, but Wang was always a step ahead of her. On the few occasions that Mori broke her serve, she immediately broke back by attacking her rival's service. It was an imperious performance. If only the Chinese had participated, Wang might have shown more of her repertoire. As it was, she jogged through her competition, with only young Indian Aditi Mutatkar threatening to take a game off her in the second round.
"I was a little tight in the beginning," Wang Chen said. "I didn't come in with any particular strategy -- I tried to keep keep her at the back."
Kuncoro was a little bit more elaborate. "I was confident before the final because I have beaten Kuan twice already. I played loose, no tension. In the beginning I was in doubt, I was trying to adjust to his game, but then I attacked."
Asked what role coach Joko Suprianto had in his win, he said: "Joko told me to pressure him from the start, to not give him a chance to hit."
Korean women pip Japanese:
The women's doubles was a strange contest. Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Kyung Won seemed to have everything under control against Kumako Ogura and Reiko Shiota after a first game win, but then they fell back 2-10 in the second. Perhaps Hyo Jung was recovering from her efforts of the first match, the mixed doubles. The Koreans fought back to 8-12 in a single service game, but the Japanese recovered in time to take the next three points.
Whatever rhythm the Japanese had evaporated soon enough, as the Koreans ran away to an 8-1 lead, and Shiota and Ogura never looked like they could make it. Hyo Jung, with her fearsome presence at the net, and Kyung Won rattling in smashes from behind, destroyed whatever tactics the Japanese had worked out.
The final match of the day, the men's doubles, was particularly of interest to Indonesia because Jae Jin and Jae Sung had beaten favourites Hendra Gunawan and Joko Riyadi in the semifinals.
There were no blazing guns, no thundering smashes and diving retrievals. It was almost an anti-climax to an eagerly-awaited final. Few rallies in the first game went beyond four or five strokes. The Indonesians, aware of the destructive smashes on the other side, kept the shuttle down, exploring the angles and trying to outmanoevre the opposition.
It was a particularly effective ploy today by the Indonesians. Jae Jin had already played a tiring mixed doubles final, and he could not get any momentum. Both Setiawan and Kido played soft, resorting to big smashes in spurts, and drawing whatever sting the Koreans had. In such a game of quick exchanges, the Koreans were desperately short of momentum, and the Indonesians notched up point after point with seeming ease. The Koreans kept pace till 7-all in the first.
Their challenge totally fell apart in the second. Kido, erratic at times but brilliant otherwise, and Setiawan, consistent with the soft drops and playing close to the net, did everything right today to take a richly-deserved gold and trigger celebrations in the Indonesian camp.
Results:
MS: Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Kuen Beng Hong (Mas) 15-10, 15-5.
WS: Wang Chen (Hkg) bt Kaori Mori (Jpn) 15-1115-7.
WD: Lee Kyung Won/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Kumako Ogura/ Reiko Shiota (Jpn) 15-13, 8-15, 15-5.
MD: Markis Kido/ Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Lee Jae Jin/ Jung Jae Sung (Kor) 15-11, 15-7.
MXD: Sudket Prapakamol/ Saralee T (Tha) bt Lee Jae Jin/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) 15-11, 14-17, 15-10.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Live from Hyd: Kuan stands in Sony's path to ABC title
Dev S Sukumar/ badmintonmania.com
Hyderabad, 10 September 2005: It's going to be Sony Dwi Kuncoro against Kuan Beng Hong and Wang Chen versus Kaori Mori for the ABC singles throne.
On a day when three of the four singles matches were one-sided affairs, the most excitement was provided by the men's doubles semifinal between Hendra Gunawan/ Joko Riyadi and Lee Jae Jin and Jung Jae Sung. The match went into three games, with the winners being... no, we'll save that for later.
After Sony beat Ng Wei in straight games, young Malaysian Kuan Beng Hong took on Lee Hyun Il. It was a tight affair to begin with, but once the Malaysian stitched up the first game, he cruised through the second. Kuan started off attacking furiously, notching up a 6-2 lead before Lee made his presence felt. The Korean tried to slow down the pace, forcing three successive errors from the Malaysian, and came close at 8-9.
Hong retaliated with another fierce barrage; Lee could barely hang on as the Malaysian went up 11-8. Although he narrowed the gape to 11-12, his challenge was killed when Hong dived to retrieve an impossible shot at the net, and then rushed back to the baseline and fired a down-the-line winner. From then on the Korean was a passenger as Hong drilled point after point, and emerged a 15-11, 15-4 winner.
The all-Japanese women's semifinal between Mori and Hirose was expected to go the distance; they were familiar with each other's game and it was always going to be a couple of points that made the difference. Mori had a rather easy first game, winning 11-5, but then Hirose got going and won the second game just as easily. She continued in the same vein, going up 4-0 and 7-4 up with those wonderful crosscourt drops and hard smashes.
It seemed a matter of time before she closed the match; her game was flowing beautifully and Mori was shaking her head in desperation.
But the shift in momentum came again, just as mysteriously. Mori flung herself at every winner that Hirose threw at her, slowly she climbed back and equalled at 7, and a Hirose drop that found the net gave her an 8-7 lead.
Serve changed ends six times, Hirose equalled at 8, a long rally followed until Hirose made the critical error. Mori went 9-8 up but Hirose again equalled.
Another one-point lead for Mori, but then she misjudged a toss and then smashed wide to let her compatriot equal at 10-all. Three errors from Hirose -- unfortunately, her favourite cross court drop found the net at the most critical time -- gave Mori her entry into the final.
Gunawan-Riyadi fail:
Back to the men's doubles. Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan had made the final after a close bout with Tan Bin Shen and Ong Soon Hock of Malaysia. If Hendra Gunawan and Riyadi could do the same, Indonesia would have been assured of a gold. Alas, it was not to be. They will have to wait until tommorow to see if Setiawan and Kido can thwart Lee Jae Jin and Jung Jae Sung.
Gunawan and Riyadi were all over the Koreans to begin with, whipping them 15-8 in the opener. With Gunawan patrolling the back, and Riyadi nipping off anything near the net, the Indonesians looked on course to join their compatriots in the final.
The momentum swung dramatically the other way in the second game. The Koreans went up 5-0 and 10-5 thanks to some elementary errors from the Indonesians, who appeared to be recovering their energies. Lee and Jung smashed winners frequently on both flanks as Gunawan and Riyadi looked on, both hopelessly out of position.
Having broken serve at 12-8, both Indonesians promptly lost theirs -- Gunawan served short and Riyadi served wide. Lee and Jung needed no further invitation. The third game was even more of a mismatch as the Koreans went up a level higher. Despite flashes of brilliance from both the Indonesians, the Koreans were just too consistent today.
Indonesia's doubles woes were further compounded when Jo Novita and Greysia Poli were completely outmanoevered by the Japanese pair of Kumako Ogura and Reiko Shota. There was no doubt that their strategy was conceived by coach Park Joo Bong -- so meticulous and well-executed was it that the Indonesians stood no chance.
Novita and Poli had shocked favourites Saralee and Sathinee in the quarters, thanks to some big hitting by both of them. The Japanese, however, countered their attacking style by lifting everything to the baseline. Poli and Novita wore themselves out hitting smash after smash -- and everything kept coming back. The Japanese attack itself was sudden and unpredictable.
The Indonesians threw everything they had, and at times they did brilliantly. At 8-12 down in the first game came the rally of the match -- Poli and Novita smashed time after time; the shuttle kept coming back, and after about 30 strokes the Japanese made an error. Both teams got a standing ovation.
By the second game the Indonesians had wisened up to the tactics of their opponents, so they replied toss with toss. The rallies got more defensive, but both Ogura and Shota made lesser errors and played sharp on the big points to ease through during the final moments.
By the end of day's play, two Koreans had set themselves up in line for a double -- Lee Jae Jin and Lee Hyo Jung won their mixed doubles semifinal over Mohd Rizal and Endang Nursugianti. They will face the Thai pair of Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee in the final. Lee Hyo Jung is also in the women's doubles final.
Sudket and Saralee destroyed Albertus Susanto and Li Wing. Sudket, spectacular with his huge jump smashes, and reminiscent of a Liem Swie King, gave the Hong Kong pair no chance. The Thais go into the final as favourites, especially since Lee Jae Jin and Lee Hyo Jung have their other doubles finals also to worry about.
Results: Semifinals:
MS: Sony Dwi Kuncoro bt Ng Wei; Kuan Beng Hong bt Lee Hyun Il 15-11, 15-4.
WS: Wang Chen bt Cheng Shao Chieh; Kaori Mori bt Eriko Hirose 11-5, 5-11, 13-10.
MD: Setiawan/ Markis Kido bt Tan Bin Shen/ Ong Soon Hock 15-13, 15-13; Lee Jae Jin/ Jung Jae Sung bt Hendra Gunawan/ Joko Riyadi 8-15, 15-8, 15-6.
WD: Ogura/ Shota bt Poli/ Novita 15-10, 15-4.
MXD: Sudket/ Saralee bt Albertus/ Li Wing; Lee Jae Jin/ Lee Hyo Jung bt Rizal/ Endang.
Hyderabad, 10 September 2005: It's going to be Sony Dwi Kuncoro against Kuan Beng Hong and Wang Chen versus Kaori Mori for the ABC singles throne.
On a day when three of the four singles matches were one-sided affairs, the most excitement was provided by the men's doubles semifinal between Hendra Gunawan/ Joko Riyadi and Lee Jae Jin and Jung Jae Sung. The match went into three games, with the winners being... no, we'll save that for later.
After Sony beat Ng Wei in straight games, young Malaysian Kuan Beng Hong took on Lee Hyun Il. It was a tight affair to begin with, but once the Malaysian stitched up the first game, he cruised through the second. Kuan started off attacking furiously, notching up a 6-2 lead before Lee made his presence felt. The Korean tried to slow down the pace, forcing three successive errors from the Malaysian, and came close at 8-9.
Hong retaliated with another fierce barrage; Lee could barely hang on as the Malaysian went up 11-8. Although he narrowed the gape to 11-12, his challenge was killed when Hong dived to retrieve an impossible shot at the net, and then rushed back to the baseline and fired a down-the-line winner. From then on the Korean was a passenger as Hong drilled point after point, and emerged a 15-11, 15-4 winner.
The all-Japanese women's semifinal between Mori and Hirose was expected to go the distance; they were familiar with each other's game and it was always going to be a couple of points that made the difference. Mori had a rather easy first game, winning 11-5, but then Hirose got going and won the second game just as easily. She continued in the same vein, going up 4-0 and 7-4 up with those wonderful crosscourt drops and hard smashes.
It seemed a matter of time before she closed the match; her game was flowing beautifully and Mori was shaking her head in desperation.
But the shift in momentum came again, just as mysteriously. Mori flung herself at every winner that Hirose threw at her, slowly she climbed back and equalled at 7, and a Hirose drop that found the net gave her an 8-7 lead.
Serve changed ends six times, Hirose equalled at 8, a long rally followed until Hirose made the critical error. Mori went 9-8 up but Hirose again equalled.
Another one-point lead for Mori, but then she misjudged a toss and then smashed wide to let her compatriot equal at 10-all. Three errors from Hirose -- unfortunately, her favourite cross court drop found the net at the most critical time -- gave Mori her entry into the final.
Gunawan-Riyadi fail:
Back to the men's doubles. Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan had made the final after a close bout with Tan Bin Shen and Ong Soon Hock of Malaysia. If Hendra Gunawan and Riyadi could do the same, Indonesia would have been assured of a gold. Alas, it was not to be. They will have to wait until tommorow to see if Setiawan and Kido can thwart Lee Jae Jin and Jung Jae Sung.
Gunawan and Riyadi were all over the Koreans to begin with, whipping them 15-8 in the opener. With Gunawan patrolling the back, and Riyadi nipping off anything near the net, the Indonesians looked on course to join their compatriots in the final.
The momentum swung dramatically the other way in the second game. The Koreans went up 5-0 and 10-5 thanks to some elementary errors from the Indonesians, who appeared to be recovering their energies. Lee and Jung smashed winners frequently on both flanks as Gunawan and Riyadi looked on, both hopelessly out of position.
Having broken serve at 12-8, both Indonesians promptly lost theirs -- Gunawan served short and Riyadi served wide. Lee and Jung needed no further invitation. The third game was even more of a mismatch as the Koreans went up a level higher. Despite flashes of brilliance from both the Indonesians, the Koreans were just too consistent today.
Indonesia's doubles woes were further compounded when Jo Novita and Greysia Poli were completely outmanoevered by the Japanese pair of Kumako Ogura and Reiko Shota. There was no doubt that their strategy was conceived by coach Park Joo Bong -- so meticulous and well-executed was it that the Indonesians stood no chance.
Novita and Poli had shocked favourites Saralee and Sathinee in the quarters, thanks to some big hitting by both of them. The Japanese, however, countered their attacking style by lifting everything to the baseline. Poli and Novita wore themselves out hitting smash after smash -- and everything kept coming back. The Japanese attack itself was sudden and unpredictable.
The Indonesians threw everything they had, and at times they did brilliantly. At 8-12 down in the first game came the rally of the match -- Poli and Novita smashed time after time; the shuttle kept coming back, and after about 30 strokes the Japanese made an error. Both teams got a standing ovation.
By the second game the Indonesians had wisened up to the tactics of their opponents, so they replied toss with toss. The rallies got more defensive, but both Ogura and Shota made lesser errors and played sharp on the big points to ease through during the final moments.
By the end of day's play, two Koreans had set themselves up in line for a double -- Lee Jae Jin and Lee Hyo Jung won their mixed doubles semifinal over Mohd Rizal and Endang Nursugianti. They will face the Thai pair of Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee in the final. Lee Hyo Jung is also in the women's doubles final.
Sudket and Saralee destroyed Albertus Susanto and Li Wing. Sudket, spectacular with his huge jump smashes, and reminiscent of a Liem Swie King, gave the Hong Kong pair no chance. The Thais go into the final as favourites, especially since Lee Jae Jin and Lee Hyo Jung have their other doubles finals also to worry about.
Results: Semifinals:
MS: Sony Dwi Kuncoro bt Ng Wei; Kuan Beng Hong bt Lee Hyun Il 15-11, 15-4.
WS: Wang Chen bt Cheng Shao Chieh; Kaori Mori bt Eriko Hirose 11-5, 5-11, 13-10.
MD: Setiawan/ Markis Kido bt Tan Bin Shen/ Ong Soon Hock 15-13, 15-13; Lee Jae Jin/ Jung Jae Sung bt Hendra Gunawan/ Joko Riyadi 8-15, 15-8, 15-6.
WD: Ogura/ Shota bt Poli/ Novita 15-10, 15-4.
MXD: Sudket/ Saralee bt Albertus/ Li Wing; Lee Jae Jin/ Lee Hyo Jung bt Rizal/ Endang.
Live from Hyd: Sony survives Boonsak challenge
Dev S Sukumar/ badmintonmania.com
Hyderabad, 9 September 2005:
Olympic bronze medallist Sony Dwi Kuncoro won his first big battle of the ABC championships after a bruising, 80 minute encounter with Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana in the quarterfinal on Friday. Others to reach the men's semifinals were Ng Wei, Lee Hyun Il and Kuan Beng Hong.
Women's world no.17 Cheng Shao Chieh created the biggest upset in the singles, beating Kanako Yonekura of Japan after a tense three-game struggle. There were no other upsets in the women's singles, with top seed Wang Chen, Kaori Mori and Eriko Hirose all booking their places in the last four.
Meanwhile, Indonesia had further cause to rejoice, with two of their women's doubles pairs making it to the semis. Jo Novita and Greysia Poli played wonderful badminton to upset world no.6 pair Saralee Thoungthongkam and Satinee Jankrajangwong in straight games. After that smart achievement, they sat by the court checking messages on their mobile phones, seeming almost oblivious to the magnitude of their achievement. "We formed this partnership just three tournaments ago, and our best showing was a semifinal place at the Singapore Open," said Poli. Indonesian coach Atik Jauhari was delighted with his young team's performance.
Their compatriots Lita Nurlita and Natalia Poluakan came through after a tough three-game win over Matsuda Tomomi and Akao Aki of Japan.
An error-strewn match:
Sony was erratic and brilliant by turns. Boonsak dominated the net early in the match, catching Sony time and again with his tight dribbles. The Indonesian countered Boonsak's languid style with a blistering attack, but some spectacular winners were negated by terrible errors. The serve changed ends several times at 11-all, until Boonsak went ahead when Sony smashed into the net.
The Thai earned game point after winning a net exchange, and clinched the game with a drive to a Sony smash.
The momentum completely swung the Indonesian's way after the break, thanks perhaps to coach Joko Suprianto. His smashes more accurate, his leaping interceptions breaking the elegant Thai's rhythm, Sony raced to a 7-3 lead with some big jump smashes that punched holes in Boonsak's backhand court, Boonsak could manage only one more point as the Indonesian easily took the second game at 15-4.
It was clear by the final game that both men were exhausted. Sony seemed to have recovered his touch at the net, and despite wayward smashes, went up 9-3. It looked like Boonsak had given up, but the Thai staged a comeback thanks to three consecutive errors by the Indonesian. Sony broke with a beautiful piece of deception -- he faked a smash and dropped it in front of the net, leaving Boonsak flat-footed in the middle.
Still, the Thai egged himself on, and levelled at 9. Sony edged ahead 11-9, serve changed ends a few times, and then the Indonesian got the critical point when Boonsak netted a return. Sony went ahead at 13-10, Boonsak narrowed the deficit by one point, but again the Indonesian found his big smashes on target and fittingly closed with a jump smash.
Yonekura falls to Cheng:
Cheng played her sticky style to counter Yonekura's more aggressive game. The Japanese seemed to have little trouble in the first game, keeping up a fast pace and serving up enough variety to keep the Taipei girl off-balance. There was no hint of things to come when Yonekura won the first game at 11-1.
Even as top seed Wang Chen was decimating Hirayama on two courts away, Cheng turned the heat on Yonekura. She threw herself at everything, retrieving sure winners and exhausting the Japanese into playing past her physical limitations. The match turned into a war of attrition, each player refusing to give up, rallies extending to 20 strokes and more. A 6-all score turned 8-all; Cheng got the critical lead at 9-8 when Yonekura's beautiful sliced drop found the net. Two smashes gave the Taipei girl the second game.
By the third, the Japanese was so drained by Cheng's bloodsucking style of play that she could barely stand; still, she gamely fought until the middle of the game, coming close at 5-6. But Cheng had far too much fuel left in her tank; she allowed the Japanese just one more point. Whoever beats Cheng in the semifinals is going to be one tired woman.
Even as Yonekura was invovled with this mind-numbing match, Wang Chen had coolly finished hers and left the stadium. Playing with a strapping on her right knee, the world no.4 was erratic to begin with, but found her rhythm and toyed with Hirayama. Arcing like a bow to convert defence into attack, firing steep smashes that kissed the service line, and driving flat on both flanks, Wang Chen had Hirayama on a string. The first game was won 11-7, courtesy a few errors, but the second was a demolition, as she dismissed the Japanese 11-3.
Arvind, Chetan fall:
Despite the presence of so many stars -- a rare phenomenon in India, as far as badminton is concerned -- all the attention was on local favourites Chetan Anand and Arvind Bhat. The only Indian winner of the ABC was Dinesh Khanna, at the inaugural event in 1965 in Lucknow; even Prakash Padukone had managed only a semifinal place, in 1976, losing to Liem Swie King. (King lost to a masterly Hou Chia Chang in the final.)
Arvind took on Lee Hyun Il and was expected to run him close, especially since young compatriot Sagar Chopda had taken the first game off the Korean in the second round.
An upset seemed on the cards as Arvind came on firing, leaping in the air to effect those huge jump smashes. Lee was caught time and again by Arvind's flicks and smashes, and the Indian seemed to be running away with the first game with a 10-3 lead.
Slowly, inevitably, the Korean inched back, and finally catching the Indian at 10. Arvind was trying desperately to gain the advantage, but Lee refused to yield, despite several service breaks. Lee was up 14-10, but again the Indian fought back, equalling at 14 after a scorching rally and a Lee error at the net.
It was the Korean's greater speed and control that made the difference, as he pipped Arvind to the post at 17-16. The tense struggle had taken out all of Arvind's strength, and he could only watch helplessly as the Korean ran away with the second game and match.
Chetan Anand's match against Kuan Beng Hong was a strange affair. The Indian, with his patented wristy style and deception, had Hong in all sorts of trouble. A stream of errors flowed from the world no.11's racket as he was unable to read the Indian. Chetan went up 12-2 and should have stiched it up, but the Indian is well known for his lack of consistency and mental strength. Hong breathed down his neck at 10-12, but the Indian just about managed to hold him off and won 15-10.
The second and third games again reflected why Chetan had for so long remained a non-achiever, despite his stroke-making ability and ease of movement. The legs seemed to hold iron weights as they refused to follow the shuttle; the precise, crisp shots soon became wayward, and the crowd was dulled into silence. Chetan has been known as the most talented of all the Indian men, and this was a good opportunity -- in the absence of the Chinese -- to make a mark, but the Indian has also been notorious for shirking work. Perhaps a stint in Denmark -- he and wife Jwala Gutta are to play in Copenhagen -- will wake him up.
Results:
MS: Ng Wei bt Sairul Amar 15-10, 15-5; Sony Kuncoro bt Boonsak Ponsana 11-15, 15-4, 15-11; Lee Hyun Il bt Arvind Bhat 17-16, 15-5; Kuan Beng Hong bt Chetan Anand 10-15, 15-7, 15-2.
WS: Wang Chen bt Hirayama 11-7, 11-3; Cheng Shao Chieh bt Yonekura 1-11, 11-8, 11-6; Kaori Mori bt Adriyanti Firdasari 11-3, 7-11, 11-4; Eriko Hirose bt Wong Mew Choo 11-8, 11-6.
WD: Lee Kyung/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Thilini J/ Renu Chandrika (SL) 15-1, 15-1; Lita Nurlita/ Natalia Poluakan (Ina) bt Matsuda Tomomi/ Akao Aki (Jpn) 13-15, 15-5, 15-9; Ogura Kumako/ Shiota Reiko (Jpn) bt Koon Wai Chee/ Li Wing Mui (Hkg) 15-0, 15-7; Jo Novita/ Greysia Poli (Ina) bt Saralee T/ Sathinee J 15-12, 15-10.
MXD: Lee Jae Jin/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Kawamae Naoki/ Akao Aki (Jpn) 15-2, 15-2; Mohd Rizal/ Endang N (Ina) bt Song Phon/ Kuncala (Tha) 8-15, 15-6, 17-14; Albertus Susanto/ Li Wing (Hkg) bt Diju V/ Jwala G 15-12, 15-12; Sudket P/ Saralee (Tha) bt Devin Lahardi/ Vita Marissa (Ina) 17-15, 15-5.
MD: Hendra Gunawan/ Joko Riyadi (Ina) bt Albertus Susanto/ Wiratama (Hkg) 15-4, 15-6; Lee Jae Jin/ Jung Jae Sung (Kor) bt Gan Teik Chai/ Abdul Latif (Mas) 15-12, 13-15, 15-7.
Hyderabad, 9 September 2005:
Olympic bronze medallist Sony Dwi Kuncoro won his first big battle of the ABC championships after a bruising, 80 minute encounter with Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana in the quarterfinal on Friday. Others to reach the men's semifinals were Ng Wei, Lee Hyun Il and Kuan Beng Hong.
Women's world no.17 Cheng Shao Chieh created the biggest upset in the singles, beating Kanako Yonekura of Japan after a tense three-game struggle. There were no other upsets in the women's singles, with top seed Wang Chen, Kaori Mori and Eriko Hirose all booking their places in the last four.
Meanwhile, Indonesia had further cause to rejoice, with two of their women's doubles pairs making it to the semis. Jo Novita and Greysia Poli played wonderful badminton to upset world no.6 pair Saralee Thoungthongkam and Satinee Jankrajangwong in straight games. After that smart achievement, they sat by the court checking messages on their mobile phones, seeming almost oblivious to the magnitude of their achievement. "We formed this partnership just three tournaments ago, and our best showing was a semifinal place at the Singapore Open," said Poli. Indonesian coach Atik Jauhari was delighted with his young team's performance.
Their compatriots Lita Nurlita and Natalia Poluakan came through after a tough three-game win over Matsuda Tomomi and Akao Aki of Japan.
An error-strewn match:
Sony was erratic and brilliant by turns. Boonsak dominated the net early in the match, catching Sony time and again with his tight dribbles. The Indonesian countered Boonsak's languid style with a blistering attack, but some spectacular winners were negated by terrible errors. The serve changed ends several times at 11-all, until Boonsak went ahead when Sony smashed into the net.
The Thai earned game point after winning a net exchange, and clinched the game with a drive to a Sony smash.
The momentum completely swung the Indonesian's way after the break, thanks perhaps to coach Joko Suprianto. His smashes more accurate, his leaping interceptions breaking the elegant Thai's rhythm, Sony raced to a 7-3 lead with some big jump smashes that punched holes in Boonsak's backhand court, Boonsak could manage only one more point as the Indonesian easily took the second game at 15-4.
It was clear by the final game that both men were exhausted. Sony seemed to have recovered his touch at the net, and despite wayward smashes, went up 9-3. It looked like Boonsak had given up, but the Thai staged a comeback thanks to three consecutive errors by the Indonesian. Sony broke with a beautiful piece of deception -- he faked a smash and dropped it in front of the net, leaving Boonsak flat-footed in the middle.
Still, the Thai egged himself on, and levelled at 9. Sony edged ahead 11-9, serve changed ends a few times, and then the Indonesian got the critical point when Boonsak netted a return. Sony went ahead at 13-10, Boonsak narrowed the deficit by one point, but again the Indonesian found his big smashes on target and fittingly closed with a jump smash.
Yonekura falls to Cheng:
Cheng played her sticky style to counter Yonekura's more aggressive game. The Japanese seemed to have little trouble in the first game, keeping up a fast pace and serving up enough variety to keep the Taipei girl off-balance. There was no hint of things to come when Yonekura won the first game at 11-1.
Even as top seed Wang Chen was decimating Hirayama on two courts away, Cheng turned the heat on Yonekura. She threw herself at everything, retrieving sure winners and exhausting the Japanese into playing past her physical limitations. The match turned into a war of attrition, each player refusing to give up, rallies extending to 20 strokes and more. A 6-all score turned 8-all; Cheng got the critical lead at 9-8 when Yonekura's beautiful sliced drop found the net. Two smashes gave the Taipei girl the second game.
By the third, the Japanese was so drained by Cheng's bloodsucking style of play that she could barely stand; still, she gamely fought until the middle of the game, coming close at 5-6. But Cheng had far too much fuel left in her tank; she allowed the Japanese just one more point. Whoever beats Cheng in the semifinals is going to be one tired woman.
Even as Yonekura was invovled with this mind-numbing match, Wang Chen had coolly finished hers and left the stadium. Playing with a strapping on her right knee, the world no.4 was erratic to begin with, but found her rhythm and toyed with Hirayama. Arcing like a bow to convert defence into attack, firing steep smashes that kissed the service line, and driving flat on both flanks, Wang Chen had Hirayama on a string. The first game was won 11-7, courtesy a few errors, but the second was a demolition, as she dismissed the Japanese 11-3.
Arvind, Chetan fall:
Despite the presence of so many stars -- a rare phenomenon in India, as far as badminton is concerned -- all the attention was on local favourites Chetan Anand and Arvind Bhat. The only Indian winner of the ABC was Dinesh Khanna, at the inaugural event in 1965 in Lucknow; even Prakash Padukone had managed only a semifinal place, in 1976, losing to Liem Swie King. (King lost to a masterly Hou Chia Chang in the final.)
Arvind took on Lee Hyun Il and was expected to run him close, especially since young compatriot Sagar Chopda had taken the first game off the Korean in the second round.
An upset seemed on the cards as Arvind came on firing, leaping in the air to effect those huge jump smashes. Lee was caught time and again by Arvind's flicks and smashes, and the Indian seemed to be running away with the first game with a 10-3 lead.
Slowly, inevitably, the Korean inched back, and finally catching the Indian at 10. Arvind was trying desperately to gain the advantage, but Lee refused to yield, despite several service breaks. Lee was up 14-10, but again the Indian fought back, equalling at 14 after a scorching rally and a Lee error at the net.
It was the Korean's greater speed and control that made the difference, as he pipped Arvind to the post at 17-16. The tense struggle had taken out all of Arvind's strength, and he could only watch helplessly as the Korean ran away with the second game and match.
Chetan Anand's match against Kuan Beng Hong was a strange affair. The Indian, with his patented wristy style and deception, had Hong in all sorts of trouble. A stream of errors flowed from the world no.11's racket as he was unable to read the Indian. Chetan went up 12-2 and should have stiched it up, but the Indian is well known for his lack of consistency and mental strength. Hong breathed down his neck at 10-12, but the Indian just about managed to hold him off and won 15-10.
The second and third games again reflected why Chetan had for so long remained a non-achiever, despite his stroke-making ability and ease of movement. The legs seemed to hold iron weights as they refused to follow the shuttle; the precise, crisp shots soon became wayward, and the crowd was dulled into silence. Chetan has been known as the most talented of all the Indian men, and this was a good opportunity -- in the absence of the Chinese -- to make a mark, but the Indian has also been notorious for shirking work. Perhaps a stint in Denmark -- he and wife Jwala Gutta are to play in Copenhagen -- will wake him up.
Results:
MS: Ng Wei bt Sairul Amar 15-10, 15-5; Sony Kuncoro bt Boonsak Ponsana 11-15, 15-4, 15-11; Lee Hyun Il bt Arvind Bhat 17-16, 15-5; Kuan Beng Hong bt Chetan Anand 10-15, 15-7, 15-2.
WS: Wang Chen bt Hirayama 11-7, 11-3; Cheng Shao Chieh bt Yonekura 1-11, 11-8, 11-6; Kaori Mori bt Adriyanti Firdasari 11-3, 7-11, 11-4; Eriko Hirose bt Wong Mew Choo 11-8, 11-6.
WD: Lee Kyung/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Thilini J/ Renu Chandrika (SL) 15-1, 15-1; Lita Nurlita/ Natalia Poluakan (Ina) bt Matsuda Tomomi/ Akao Aki (Jpn) 13-15, 15-5, 15-9; Ogura Kumako/ Shiota Reiko (Jpn) bt Koon Wai Chee/ Li Wing Mui (Hkg) 15-0, 15-7; Jo Novita/ Greysia Poli (Ina) bt Saralee T/ Sathinee J 15-12, 15-10.
MXD: Lee Jae Jin/ Lee Hyo Jung (Kor) bt Kawamae Naoki/ Akao Aki (Jpn) 15-2, 15-2; Mohd Rizal/ Endang N (Ina) bt Song Phon/ Kuncala (Tha) 8-15, 15-6, 17-14; Albertus Susanto/ Li Wing (Hkg) bt Diju V/ Jwala G 15-12, 15-12; Sudket P/ Saralee (Tha) bt Devin Lahardi/ Vita Marissa (Ina) 17-15, 15-5.
MD: Hendra Gunawan/ Joko Riyadi (Ina) bt Albertus Susanto/ Wiratama (Hkg) 15-4, 15-6; Lee Jae Jin/ Jung Jae Sung (Kor) bt Gan Teik Chai/ Abdul Latif (Mas) 15-12, 13-15, 15-7.
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