Nova, Lilyana add to RI's failure

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 03/10/2008 1:20 AM  |  Headlines

The Indonesian All-England team will return home empty handed after Nova Widianto and Lilyana became the last players to fall, going down to Chinese Zheng Bo and Gao Ling in the finals in Birmingham, England, on Sunday.

The world champions from Indonesia got off to a winning start in a match relayed live on Global TV.

They took the opening game 21-18 despite being forced to overcome some nerves early on.

But they lost the remaining two games, 21-14, 21-9.

The defeat added to a series of failures for Indonesia in the world's oldest competition after Taufik Hidayat and Sony Dwi Kuncoro exited in quarterfinals.

Indonesia last won a title in 2003 through Sigit Budiarto and Candra Wijaya.

Earlier, Chen Jin foiled Lin Dan's effort to win a fourth title with a hard-fought 22-20, 25-23 win.

Tine Rasmussen of Denmark won the women's singles with a 21-11, 18-21, 22-20 win over China's Lu lan.

The women's doubles final saw Du Jing and Yu Yang of China against Koreans Lee Hyo-jung and Lee Kyung-won. Korea was assured of the men's doubles title with Hwang Ji-man and Lee Jae-jin playing Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae in the final.

Chen, the world No.4, had never beaten world No.1 Lin in six previous meetings, but he completed the championship without dropping a game, AFP reported.

Having had three match points he finally won it on the fourth with a cross-court smash.

Lin suffered an injury to his left knee in training recently in Beijing, and he said: "It really hurt when I got up this morning and I couldn't jump or smash properly. I did think about pulling out when he got ahead in the second, but there were a lot of spectators and I wanted to keep playing for them.

"I am disappointed, but I am also pleased for Chen. He is a good friend and a team mate and he deserved the win today."

Despite the injury, the 24-year-old still hopes to play in this week's Swiss Open Super Series in Basle. "I do not play until Wednesday, so I hope the two days rest will be enough," he added.

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