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Friday November 20, 2009

Indonesian exit opens door to Fairuzizuan-Zakry

PETALING JAYA: Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari may get to compete in the Super Series Masters Finals after all following Indonesia’s decision to withdraw all their national players from the event next month.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed yesterday that the All-Indonesia Badminton Association (PBSI) had declined invitation for their players to feature in the Finals in Johor Baru from Dec 2-6 because their priority was the SEA Games competitions in Laos from Dec 10-17.

The Indonesian decision affects the men’s pairs of Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan and Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano and singles players Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Simon Santoso.

However, independent players Taufik Hidayat and Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan will be allowed to feature in the Finals.

Taufik and Alven-Hendra, who are currently seventh in the Super Series men’s singles and doubles standings respectively, are assured of qualification without including the points from the ongoing China Open, which is the last stop of a 12-leg circuit.

The BWF’s events manager, M. Venugopal, said: “The closing date is on Nov 23 but Indonesia have informed us that except for Taufik and Alven-Hendra, the others will not be competing.

“From on our provisional qualifiers list, Denmark have also indicated that Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen will not take part.”

Fairuzizuan-Zakry are in 11th spot and with Markis-Hendra (2nd), Paaske-Rasmussen (4th) and Bona-Ahsan (10th) out of the way, the Malaysians may just scrape in as the top eighth pair for the Finals.

Only eight pairs get to feature in the Finals offering a total purse of US$500,000. And a country can have only a maxium of two representatives in an event.

* After 11 of 12 legs

Men’s singles: 1. Lee Chong Wei (Mas), 2. Peter-Gade Christensen (Den), 3. Simon Santoso (Ina), 4. Chen Jin (Chn), 5. Lin Dan (Chn), 6. Bao Chunlai (Chn), 7. Taufik Hidayat (Ina), 8. Park Sung-hwan (Kor), 9. Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina), 10. Chan Yan Kit (Hkg).

Men’s doubles: 1. Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boong Heong (Mas), 2. Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina), 3. Mathias Bor-Carsten Mogen­sen (Den), 4. Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen (Den), 5. Anthony Clark-Nathan Robertson (Eng), 6. Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor), 7. Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina), 8. Guo Zhengdong-Xu Chen (Chn), 9. Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn), 10. Bona Septano. Mohd Ahsan.

Selected: 11. Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif (Mas).

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