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Taufik, Sony crash in Masters semifinals

Indonesia's top shuttlers Taufik Hidayat and Sony Dwi Kuncoro stopped short of reaching the finals at the World Super Series Masters after losing their semifinal matches in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on Saturday

Niken Prathivi (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, December 21, 2008 Published on Dec. 21, 2008 Published on 2008-12-21T10:51:03+07:00

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Indonesia's top shuttlers Taufik Hidayat and Sony Dwi Kuncoro stopped short of reaching the finals at the World Super Series Masters after losing their semifinal matches in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on Saturday.

The event, which offers US$500,000 in cash prizes, was open to Super Series players ranked in the top eight but Chinese players withdrew, opting to focus on training for next year's tournaments.

Taufik, who had complained about a nagging waist injury before his trip to the tournament, was overwhelmed by world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia 21-5, 21-10. Sony earlier crashed to Peter Gade of Denmark 21-10, 21-10.

Indonesia's hopes in the men's doubles were also dashed with top seeds Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan incurring a 22-20, 15-21, 21-17 defeat by third seeds Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae of South Korea.

Jae-sung and Yong-dae will meet Malaysian pair Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong in the finals. The home pair, who were seeded sixth, stunned compatriots, second seeds Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Modh Tazari 22-20, 21-14.

Indonesia can expect titles from the mixed and women's doubles with Lilyana Natsir playing in both events.

Lilyana teamed up with Nova Widianto to beat British duo Anthony Clark and Donna Kellog 23-21, 21-17 in 35 minutes. They will face second seeds Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark in the final.

The Danes secured their place after brushing aside Thailand's Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam, seeded fifth, 21-17, 22-20.

The Indonesian pair hold the upper hand in head-to-head meetings, winning nine of 13 matches against their Danish opponents. However, in their last match at Indonesia Super Series in June, the Danish pair outperformed the Indonesians.

Lilyana will also feature in the finals, pairing with Vita Marissa in the women's doubles against top seeds Eei Hui Chin and Pei Tty Wong of Malaysia.

They should be able to overcome their opponents, whom they have beaten three times in four meetings.

The women's singles will pit top seed Zhou Mi against third seed Wang Chen in an all-Hong Kong final. Zhou mi beat Danish Tine Rasmussen 21-13, 21-16 while Wang Chen needed three games to stop Indian rising star Saina Nehwal 15-21, 21-14, 21-16 in the semifinals.

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