•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   

As expected, Indonesia’s men’s shuttlers found little trouble in the group phase of Thomas Cup Asian zone qualifiers and moved to the quarterfinals at the top of Group A.

The team earned its second victory in the group with a 5-0 sweep of Vietnam at the National Badminton Center in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on Wednesday.

Taufik Hidayat started the rout with a 21-15, 21-11 win over Nguyen Tien Minh. Sony Dwi Kuncoro came next and put Indonesia two up with an easy 21-12, 21-15 victory over Nguyen Hoang Nam.

Simon Santoso clinched the team victory with a dominating 21-6, 21-8 win over Huynh Vinh in just 17 minutes.

Indonesia finished the sweep by winning both the doubles matches. Markis Kido and Alvent Yulianto Chandra beat Duong Bao Duc and Pham Cao Hieu, 21-13, 21-13, and Rian Sukmawan and Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki closed the day with a 21-6, 21-16 win over Hoang Ham and Huynh Vinh.

Indonesia will face host Thailand in the quarterfinals today.

The Thais finished second in Group C after losing 3-2 to India in their last group game.

“We’re very optimistic about beating Thailand, even though they’ll be playing at home,” said Jacob Rusdianto, secretary general of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI). “Thailand has only one strong point, its No. 1 men’s singles player, Boonsak Ponsana.”

Meanwhile, after a tough 3-2 win over Singapore on Monday, Indonesia’s Uber Cup women’s team had a much easier time of it with a sweep of Sri Lanka in Group X.

Adriyanti Firdasari downed Thillini Jayasinghe 21-6, 21-9; Maria Febe Kusumastuti claimed a 21-8, 21-8 win over Achini Rathnasiri; and Aprilia Yuswandari beat Lekha Shehani, 21-9, 21-8.

Meiliana Jauhari and Anneke Feinya Agustin beat Rathnasiri and Upuli Samanthika 21-14, 21-8 in doubles. And Shendy Puspa Irawati and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari finished off the sweep with a 21-5, 21-5 thumping of Jayasinghe and Shehani.

The women’s team is in second place in the group and has a great chance of qualifying for the semifinals if it beats Thailand today. Badminton