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View all search resultsThe country's men's and women's squads enjoyed victory on the opening day of the 2010 Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday
he country's men's and women's squads enjoyed victory on the opening day of the 2010 Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday.
Both teams comprehensively defeated Australia 5-0 in the Group B and Group D qualifiers.
In the men's Group D, singles world number 5 Taufik Hidayat beat Jeff Tho 21-12, 21-12, while doubles pairing Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan outplayed Ross Smith and Glenn Warfe 21-14, 24-22. Second singles Simon Santoso thrashed Chad Whitehead 21-13, 21-4.
None of the men's five matches lasted more than 30 minutes. Muhammad Ahsan, who paired with world's top mixed doubles specialist Nova Widianto, crushed Raj Veeran and Jeff Tho 21-13, 21-6 in just 18 minutes.
In the women's Group B, singles world number 19 Maria Febe Kusumastuti, who is debuting at the biennial Uber Cup team event championship, overcame Leanne Choo 21-13, 21-5, while doubles pair Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari defeated Renuga Veeran and He Tian Tang 21-16, 21-11. Adriyanti Firdasari sealed victory by beating Erica Pong 21-12, 21-5, while doubles pair Shendy Puspa Irawati and Liliyana Natsir beat Kate Wilson Smith and Eugenia Tanaka 21-13, 21-11.
Men's singles Hayom Dionysius Rumbaka ended the route with a 21-12, 21-10 drubbing of Australian Stuart Gomez, while women's singles Maria Kristin Yulianti closed the women's proceedings 21-6, 21-13 against Huang Chia Chi.
"I think her shots were more dangerous now than during our previous encounters," said Huang, who has faced Maria twice before and defeated the Beijing Olympic bronze medalist at the 2007 Korea Super Series.
"Obviously, it's always disappointing to lose, but the girls were okay and our first men's doubles were very competitive. It's our first time qualifying for the Thomas Cup Finals, so coming out with their performance like that, I consider it really good," Australian team manager Rhonda Cator said, referring to men's pair Smith and Warfe, who managed to briefly prolong their second game against Markis and Hendra.
The victory leaves the men's squad confident of winning Group D when they play India on Monday.
"Today was our chance to adapt to the conditions of the court, and *our players* are well-adapted. The boys are in full spirits to meet India on *Monday*," Indonesian Thomas squad manager Yacob Rusdianto said.
Indonesian second men's singles Simon Santoso echoed the sentiment. He won his last meetings against P. Kashyap in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, and Arvind Bhat in last year's Denmark Super Series.
Indonesian Uber squad manager Djendjen Djaenanasri also voiced confidence of advancing to the quarterfinals as Group B champions. On Tuesday, the Indonesian women will face Denmark, who were Uber Cup runners-up in 1957, 1960 and 2000.
"We don't deny that the absence of Tine *Rasmussen* is a boost," Djendjen said, referring to the Danish world number 7 who recently snatched the women's singles title at the All England Super Series.
With the absence of Rasmussen due to injury, 16-year-old Danish under-17 and under-19 national champion Mette Poulsen, who reached the second round of the recent Badminton World Junior Championships in Mexico, rounds out the squad as the third singles.
The Danish team mostly consist of senior shuttlers, but fresh faces are present with Poulsen and 2010 world junior champion Victor Axelsen in the men's squad.
"I'm not sure we have a big chance *to win* now without Tine. But I'm here to learn, not to win," Poulsen said, adding that she hoped to enjoy her first foray in the Uber Cup.
"I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm excited and I don't feel any pressure at all," said Poulsen, whose team is expected to reach the quarterfinal stage.
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