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.