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Korean Open Titles Still in Sight for Indonesian Shuttlers
Sandy Pramuji | January 05, 2012

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Indonesia still has three chances to get 2012 off to a winning start at the season-opening Korea Open Super Series Premier.

Men’s singles shuttler Simon Santoso joins mixed doubles pair Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir and women’s doubles team Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari in today’s quarterfinals at Seoul Olympic Gymnasium.

Tontowi and Liliyana eased past Japan’s Noriyasu Hirata and Miyuki Maeda 21-14, 21-12 in Thursday’s second round. The fourth-seeded duo needed just 29 minutes to advance.

“We took control of the match early on and didn’t give them any chance to attack,” Tontowi told the Indonesian Badminton Association’s (PBSI) Web site.

The duo brought home Indonesia’s only Super Series titles last year, winning in India and Singapore. However, Liliyana said the shock first-round departure of Chinese No. 1 seeds Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei was no guarantee of success.

“We have to keep our focus and play better in every match,” she said.

Tontowi and Liliyana take on Lee Yong-dae and Ha Jung-eun of South Korea today for a semifinal berth. Lee and Ha defeated Japan’s Shintaro Ikeda and Reiko Shiota 21-15, 21-15, and Liliyana said she expected a tough quarterfinal.

“We lost to them in our last meeting in the Denmark Open last year. I hope we can beat them this time,” she said.

No. 8 seed Simon beat Rajiv Ouseph of England 21-13, 21-18, advancing to play China’s Du Pengyu in the quarterfinals.

Greysia and Meiliana beat Line Damkjaer Kruse and Marie Roepke of Denmark 21-10, 21-14.

“It’s our revenge after losing to them in the All England last year,” said Greysia, who recently recovered from a shoulder injury that sidelined her for three months.

“So far, I’m not feeling any pain in my shoulder and I have been playing without concern that it could be injured again.”

The eighth-seeded pair faces a testing quarterfinal against No. 4 seeds Ha and Kim Min-jung of South Korea. The host nation’s duo beat Cheng Shu and Pan Pan of China 21-16, 21-13.

In the same draw, Vita Marissa and Nadya Melati departed after losing 16-21, 21-19, 21-9 to Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na.

In men’s doubles, former world No. 1 duo Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan’s struggles continued with a 21-17, 21-19 loss to Michael Fuchs and Oliver Roth of Germany.

“We played poorly and made lots of mistakes that cost us the match,” Hendra said.