Gopi Chand in pre-quarterfinals

JAKARTA, JULY 26. P. Gopi Chand defeated Indonesia's Vidre Wipowo 7-3, 4-7, 7-2, 7-4 to move into the pre-quarterfinals of the Sanyo Indonesian Open badminton championship here on Thursday.

The second-seeded Indian now faces Malaysia's Ayob Sairul Amar - a first-round winner over Sachin Ratti - who humbled 14th-seeded Rony Agustinus 7-2, 7-4, 2-7, 7-5. Last week, Agustinus had beaten Gopi Chand on way to the final of the Malaysian Open.

Besides Gopi Chand, the only Indians who surivived the day were V. Diju and Manjusha Kanwar. This mixed doubles pair defeated Indonesians Robby Istanta and Mundiasto Rani in five games in the first round to set up a clash with second seeds Nova Widianto and Marisa Vita.

However, the Indian challenge ended in the other three sections. B.R. Meenakshi, Manjusha Kanwar and P.V.V. Lakshmi lost to their Indonesian rivals in the women's singles. The men's doubles seventh seeds, V. Diju and Sanave Thomas, enjoyed a first round bye before going down in straight games to Indonesians Alven Yuianto and Hendra A. Gunawan. Markose Bristow and Vijaydeep Singh, following a five-game victory in the first round, also went down in straight games to another Indonesian pair Bambang Suprianto and Tri Kusharyanto.

In women's doubles, Indonesians once again stood in the way of the Indians. Manjusha and Meenakshi were shown the door in four games by O. Tety Yunita and Nrnita Ernita.

Earlier, little-known 20-year-old German Bjoern Joppein had knocked out World champion Hendrawan 2-7, 5-7, 7-1, 7-5, 7-2 to provide the biggest upset of the men's first round.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Hendrawan's wife had given birth to a baby girl. Interestingly, the baby, premature by two months, was named Josephine Sevilla, the name derived from the Spanish city where Hendrawan became World champion recently.

Joppein, however, failed to get past the second round and crashed to Denmark's Niels Kristian Kaldau 3-7, 2-7, 0-7.

The results (involving Indians):

Men's singles (second round): P. Gopi Chand bt Vidre Wipowo (Indonesia) 7-3, 4-7, 7-2, 7-4; Kai Cheun Tam (Hong Kong) bt Abhinn Shyam Gupta 7-0, 5-7, 7-3, 8-7. First round: Gopi Chand bt Jens Roch (Ger) 5-7, 7- 5, 8-6, 7-0; Ayob Sairul Amar (Mal) bt Sachin Ratti 7-5, 7-5, 7- 5; Abhinn Shyam Gupta bt Anggun Nugroho (Indonesia) 7-5, 7-0, 7- 0.

Women's singles (first round): Atu Rosalina (Indonesia) bt P.V.V. Lakshmi 5-7, 7-1, 7-1, 7-3; Richa Sari Pawestri (Indonesia) bt B.R. Meenakshi 7-1, 8-7, 7-4; Anastasia Emaya (Indonesia) bt Manjusha Kanwar 7-2, 7-4, 7-1.

Men's doubles (second round): Alven Yuianto/Hendra A. Gunawan (Indonesia) bt V. Diju/Sanave Thomas 7- 3, 7-2, 7-2; Bambang Suprianto/Tri Kushiaryanto (Indonesia) bt Markose Bristow/Vijaydeep Singh 7-0, 7-5, 7-3. First round: Diju/Thomas bye; Bristow/Vijaydeep bt Tooru Matsumoto/Takanori Aoki (Japan) 7-5, 4-7, 0-7, 7-5, 7-3.

Women's doubles (first round): O. Tety Yunita/Nrnita Ernita (Indonesia) bt Manjusha Kanwar/B.R. Meenakshi 7-1, 4-7, 7-5, 7-0.

Mixed doubles (first round): V. Diju/Manjusha Kanwar bt Robby Istanta/Mundiasto Rani (Indonesia) 5-7, 0-7, 7-4, 7-2, 7-4; Danang Gathot/Erla (Indonesia) bt Thomas Sanave/B.R. Meenakshi 5- 7, 8-6, 8-7, 7-5; Alven Yuianto/O. Tety Yunita (Indonesia) bt Chetan Anand/P.V.V. Lakshmi 7-2, 7-1, 7-1.

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