W

orld number three shuttler Taufik Hidayat failed to complete an Asian Games hat trick, and shattered another gold hope for Indonesia after bowing to Park Sunghwan of Chinese Taipei during a quarterfinal match at Tianhe Gymnasium on Friday morning.

“I didn’t feel very good today. I had a bad game, but I don’t want to make any excuses for why I lost. A loss is just a loss,” said the seven-time world badminton grand prix champion after the match.

“This is a game where some win and some lose and today I lost. Usually, even if I lose but played well I can accept it, but today I played badly. I don’t feel anything right now,” said the 2005 world champion.

The Korean only needed 36 minutes to fend off the 2004 Olympic Games gold medallist with 21-15, 21-16 score.

“This is the first time I beat Taufik Hidayat, which greatly increases my confidence. It was a wonderful match for me,” said world number 11 Park Sunghwan. “I performed at 70 to 80 percent of my ability, and I stuck to my strategy firmly, which was the main factor in my victory.”

Sunghwan will meet either Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam or Chinese ace Lin Dan in the Saturday semifinal.

“Lin Dan’s capabilities are better than mine in many ways. Despite all the strategy and technique, I would rather consider it a challenge to surpass myself. Since I lost to him in the men’s team single match, I shall have no pressure and will be relaxed and try my best,” said the 2006 Asian Games silver medallist. “I think I have a 30 to 40 percent chance of winning. It will be a good match.”

Taufik’s defeat was unexpected, as he had never lost to the Taiwanese before and his world ranking was far higher. A day before the match, Indonesian team manager Yacob Rusdianto also expressed optimism that Taufik would hold back the Taiwanese.

However, the 29-year old, who joined his first club at the age of nine, is also aware of his own declining performance.

“Please don’t exaggerate my defeat because nobody wants to be defeated,” said Taufik, who first quit the national training center in 2002 and rejoined in 2005 before quitting again in 2009.

“I think it is in the hands of the PBSI [the national badminton association] to come up with new players now. I wonder why it’s always me and me again [to be selected to the national team],” said the man who hit a forehand smash in the 2006 World Championships that was recorded at 305 kph, the fastest smash ever in singles competition.

With Taufik out, the only gold hopes for Indonesia in badminton are left to men’s doubles pairs Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan/Alvent Yulianto Chandra. Both pairs will play evening matches.

Another hope for gold came from men’s double pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan who defeated Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae of South Korea 21-15, 13-21, 21-18 on Friday evening match.

Kido and Hendra will meet Koo Kean Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia in the finals on Saturday. The Malaysians beat Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Alvent Yulianto Chandra 21-19, 21-16.