http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/




Susilo smashes Wong to reach final




There's only China's Chen Hong between Ronald and the Singapore Open




By Chan Tse Chueen




HE HAS beaten a world champion, an All-England winner and a Korean warrior this week. With yesterday's 15-12, 15-4 win over former world No 1 Wong Choong Hann, Singapore's Ronald Susilo has shown that he is already there with the best.




And what better way to celebrate this than by winning the men's singles title in the Yonex-Sunrise Singapore Open badminton championships at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today.




Win or lose against China's Chen Hong, Susilo has already claimed the honour of being the first Singapore man to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Prix tournament.




Malaysia's Wong had arrived in Singapore as the world No 1 (his ranking dropped to sixth this week) and was one of the hot favourites to win the Open. But he found Susilo and 5,000 cheering Singaporeans too much to handle.




Susilo, a former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student, played a fluid, intelligent game to chalk up what he considered his 'best win since I went full-time in 1998'.




Even reticent national men's singles coach Mulyo Handoyo was moved enough to praise the 23-year-old for a 'relaxed performance that showed he was enjoying the game'.




Susilo had beaten Indonesia's world champion Hendrawan on Wednesday, India's former All-England champion P. Gopichand on Thursday and, on Friday, outfought an aggressive Shon Seung Mo of South Korea to reach the last four.




With his right ankle taped because of a slight sprain, the Singaporean faced Wong yesterday afternoon knowing he had nothing to lose.




The pair last met in the Taiwan Open two years ago, when Susilo lost 13-15, 10-15.




But he turned the tables on the Malaysian yesterday with his disciplined adherence to his game plan.




He kept the shuttle away from Wong's forehands, thus denying his left-handed opponent the opportunity to play his deadly cross-court smashes.




Instead, Wong was pinned to the right half of the court almost throughout the match.




The opening rally was perhaps a foretaste of things to come. Susilo's drop shot to Wong's right caught the Malaysian flat-footed - and that front corner remained a gold mine for the Singaporean.




Susilo also showed a greater willingness to attack - something he did not show either at the recent Commonwealth Games or in the earlier rounds of the Singapore Open - mixing it with cruel drops that taxed his opponent's body and soul.




The Singaporean went into the lead for the first time at 5-4, and, though not more than two points separated the shuttlers until near the end, he never lost it.




At 11-11, it was his greater patience that allowed him to edge ahead 13-11, 13-12 and 14-12 before converting his second game point. He had almost no errors at this pivotal stage.




After the 40-minute encounter, the second game was tame in comparison.




Wong knew he had to seize the initiative if he was to change the tide. So he came back to court more aggressively - and paid the price for it.




Most of his smashes were either returned or bombed aimlessly off court.




After four service changes, he went 1-0 ahead. But that solitary point took much of his energy. He kept pace till 4-5 and then surrendered.




On one serve, Susilo raced 8-4 ahead. With another, he raced home 15-4. Fifty-eight minutes was all he needed to book Singapore's first final.




Wong, 25, was disappointed but gracious in defeat. Said the 1.83-metre tall shuttler: 'I missed some chances, especially at the beginning. I did not take the opportunities to increase the speed and attack.




'But I must congratulate Ronald. He played brilliantly.'




Of his uncharacteristic error-riddled second game, he said: 'I was trying to gain more control by putting more shots to the back of Ronald. But he managed to return and that really pressured me.




'In the end, I made too many mistakes when I attacked.'




Susilo is running high on confidence and is hoping his good form will see him through against reigning All-England champion Chen - to whom he lost in three previous meetings - today.




Chen, 22, had not dropped a game until the quarter-finals, where he was tested severely by Malaysia's in-form James Chua before winning 7-15, 15-6, 15-12 eventually.




He beat his top-seeded compatriot Xia Xuanze 15-5, 12-15, 15-13 in the semi-finals yesterday.




Susilo, who felt that the rousing cheers throughout the week have been a huge boost to his game, wants all the support he can get.




He said yesterday: 'Hopefully, people will come and help cheer me on tomorrow.'




At least two ministers - Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports Yaacob Ibrahim and Environment Minister Lim Swee Say - will do just that.




The duo were joined by their Cabinet colleague, Education Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Singapore National Olympic Council president, yesterday.




SNOC secretary-general Chris Chan also watched the match with relish.




He said: 'I first saw Ronald play at the Commonwealth Games and was fascinated by his style of play. He's almost a complete player.




'He's got potential and can only get better.'




When Timesport asked Mr Lim for his views, the minister's first words were: 'Unbelievable, mind-boggling, unreal.'