TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Jakarta poised for double in badminton team event
Jakarta is chasing two golds in the team event of the badminton competition at the National Games after notching up semifinal victories at Palaran badminton hall in Samarinda on Thursday
Change Size
Jakarta is chasing two golds in the team event of the badminton competition at the National Games after notching up semifinal victories at Palaran badminton hall in Samarinda on Thursday.
TARGET LOCKED: Jakarta shuttler Adriyanti Firdasari hits a shot to East Java's Aprillia Yuswandari during their semifinal match at the Palaran Badminton Hall in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Thursday. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
The men's team defeated East Java 3-0, and will meet Central Java in the final. The women's team also breezed past East Java 2-0, and will face West Java in the final.
Simon Santoso beat Fauzi Adnan 21-3, 21-13 to give Jakarta the opening lead in the men's semifinals. Joko Riyadi and Rendra Wijaya stretched this lead with a hard-fought 21-18, 23-25, 21-19 win over veterans Tony Gunawan and Trikus Heryanto.
Tony, doubles Olympic gold medalist with Candra Wijaya and doubles world champion with American Howard Bach, fired up powerful smashes throughout the match, but this proved futile against the much younger Joko and Rendra.
The third rubber also pitted rookie versus veteran as Jakarta's Tommy Sugiarto took on Jeffer Rosobin. Jeffer lost the first set 21-19, but showed flashes of brilliance to take the second set 21-19. But Tommy, a member of the Indonesian Thomas Cup team, outlasted the older Jeffer to win the third set 21-13.
In the other semifinal, West Java's hopes of winning the first two rubbers suffered a cruel reversal after Budi Santoso, a finalist at the prestigious All England championship in 2002, fell to younger opponent Andre Kurniawan 21-19, 21-19, and Hendra Apriadi Gunawan and Devin Lahardi were beaten by Rian Sukmawan and Yonatan 25-23, 9-21, 21-17. Andreas Adityawarman closed out the semifinal with a 21-17, 24-22 defeat of Ardiansyah.
"We expected to win the first two rubbers. When we lost, we knew we had no hope of advancing," West Java team manager Herman Subarja said.
However, West Java made amends in the women's competition by coming from a match down to beat Central Java 2-1.
Febi Angguni lost to Maria Elfira 21-18, 12-21, 21-8 in the opening rubber.
Lita Nurlita and Devi Tika put West Java back in the game with a 21-13, 21-16 win over Meiliana and Yulianti, before Lindaweni beat Maria Febe 21-14, 21-11.
The Jakarta women's team had an easier task, strolling to a 2-0 win over East Java.
Adriyanti Firdasari had to battle hard to hold off the resilient Aprillia Yuswandari. After easily taking the first set 21-12, Andriyanti, who led Indonesia to the Uber Cup final last May, was then made to work hard to win the second set 23-21.
Endang Nursugianti and Rini Mundiastuti sealed victory for Jakarta with a 21-11, 21-12 drubbing of Shendy Puspa and Lelyana D.C.
Jakarta will enter the finals as firm favorites over West Java.
"We are playing against a virtual Uber Cup team," Herman said. "But that doesn't mean we stand no chance. Our players will take to the court with nothing to lose."
