SWEET VICTORY: Indonesian badminton sce Sony Dwi Kuncoro(right) shows off his gold medal after winning the men's singles title at the Djarum Indonesia Open Super Series in Jakarta on sunday. He beat fellow Indonesian Simon Santoso(left) 19-21, 21-14, 21-9 in the final.

With athletes in five finals at the badminton Djarum Indonesia Open Super Series, host Indonesia saw men's singles Sony Dwi Kuncoro and women's doubles Vita Marissa and Lilyana Natsir secure titles Sunday at the Bung Karno Sports Hall in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

World No. 6 Sony beat fellow Indonesian Simon Santoso, 19-21, 21-14, 21-9 to win the first Super Series title of his career.

Sony said he won the match through consistent play, waiting for the opportunity to score with his smash.

"Simon performed very well but he seemed frustrated in the last game as I managed to return most of his shots," said Sony, who will celebrate his 24th birthday next month.

Sony said the win gave him a confidence boost ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing this August.

In the women's doubles, world No. 7 Vita and Lilyana raced past Japanese duo Miyuki Maeda and Satoko Suetsuna with a convincing 21-15, 21-14 victory.

This was the second Super Series title for the Indonesian pair, who teamed up in July last year, after winning the China Super Series in their debut as a team.

Vita, who also pairs with veteran Flandi Limpele in mixed doubles, said their Japanese opponents in the final were not as tough as world No. 1 Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili of China, who they defeated in the semifinals.

In the women's singles, Indonesia's Maria Kristin Yulianti saw her chance for a dream tournament disappear as she succumbed to world No. 4 Zhu Lin of China 21-18, 17-21, 21-14.

Maria blamed her defeat partly on a nagging injury.

"I felt pain in my right knee in the second game. It got worse in the last game," said the world No. 25, who stunned world No. 3 Zhang Ning of China in the semifinals.

Despite the loss, Maria said her run in the tournament would give her the confidence to challenge the top Chinese shuttlers in the Olympics.

In the men's doubles final, Indonesian veteran Candra Wijaya, who partners with doubles specialist Tony Gunawan of the United States, fell to in-form Mohd. Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd. Fairuzizuan Mohd. Tazari of Malaysia 21-19, 18-21, 21-13.

Two weeks ago, the young Malaysian duo, ranked 13th in the world, won the Singapore Super Series.

Sunday also saw world No. 2 Zheng Bao and Gao Ling of China win the mixed doubles title after seeing off Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark 21-14, 21-8. (ewd)

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