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 China
and Indonesia shared four gold medals on offer on the last day's
competition of the world badminton championships Sunday in Seville.
Third seed Gong Ruina defeated second seeded fellow Chinese Zhou
Mi 11-9, 11-4 to win the women's singles title while Gao Ling/ Huang
Sui beat Zhang Jiewen/Wei Yili 15-11, 17-15 to win the women 's
doubles in the other all-Chinese final.
The two gold medals enabled China to become the biggest winner
with three gold medals in the biannual world championships after
Zhang Jun and Gao Ling had added mixed doubles gold to their Olympic
champions on Saturday.
Indonesia triumphed in the men's doubles and singles, with Tony
Gunawan/Halim Haryanto beating defending champions Kim Dong Moon/
Ha Tae Kwon of South Korea and veteran Hendrawan stunning world
number two Peter Gade of Denmark.
But it was the 29-year-old Hendrawan that stole the day's show.
The Olympic silver medalist, who experienced a long time of slump
after the Olympics, proved that his career is still far from over.
The 15th-ranked Hendrawan, who prevailed only once in their previous
three encounters, defeated former world number one Gade in straight
sets 15-6, 17-16.
"I played very fast in the first game, but in the second it
was difficult to play like the first one because I was a little
bit tired. That let Peter go up, but I kept my spirit and won."
Hendrawan said after the win.
But Hendrawan, who has never won a title in the world championships,
said that the peak of his career is still winning the silver medal
in the Sydney Olympic Games, but a world title in a late stage of
his career is also very precious.
"After the Olympic Games, I got married and a lot of people
regarded me as 'an old man', " he said. "The world title
is a proof that I am still the best." he said.
He attributed the trophy to her wife, saying: "My wife has
thrown all her weight behind me, she always keeps my spirit."
He said he was not sure whether this is the last time to compete
in the world championships. "It's a hard question. It's very
difficult to wait for two years. I am now just thinking (of future)
year by year."
In the men's doubles final, Gunawan/Haryanto, winners of the All
England Championships early this year, beat defending champions
Kim/Ha 15-0, 15-13.
Whitewashed 15-0 in the first game, Kim/Ha fought back from 3-9
down to make it even at 9-9 and then pull ahead 10-9. Gunawan/ Haryanto
recovered and put it 14-10 and fought off a late surge from the
South Korean to win 15-13.
"I did not expect the first would be so easy, because they
are stronger than us." Gunawan said.
The Olympic champions confessed that when the South Korean led
10-9 in the second game, he was a little afraid. "It scared
me," he said. "They changed their play, stepping up defense
and gradually getting back their form. But after winning the first,
we were very spirited and won finally."
He said that the world title was very different to the Olympic
gold medal. "The Olympic Games were held once four years, perhaps
you can win only once in your life, that's more precious."
"My next goal is to win the Indonesian Open," he said.
(People's Daily 06/11/2001)
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