INDONESIA OPEN 2014 R16 – Simon stays put, Hu’s next match beckons

Simon Santoso could not continue his run of form into the quarters of the BCA Indonesia Open, as Hong Kong’s Hu Yun had his own designs on Superseries Premier glory.

By Mathilde Liliana Perada, Badzine Correspondent live in Jakarta.  Photos: Yves Lacroix for Badmintonphoto (live)

The second round of the BCA Indonesia Open Superseries Premier was not good at all for the home team.  After an impressive showing on Wednesday, only three representatives remained for the quarter-finals, out of 13 representatives at the beginning of second round.

After remaining undefeated for three straight tournaments, Indonesia’s Simon Santoso finally found himself unequal to the challenge posed by Japan Open finalist Hu Yun (pictured above) of Hong Kong.

“Hu Yun and I gave our best throughout the match,” said Simon Santoso (pictured) after failing to convert on his only match point opportunity and allowing Hu to finish it 21-18, 13-21, 22-20.

“I was in a hurry to immediately end the game while he appeared quite calm,” said Simon, adding that he let himself get irritated when Hu Yun asked for a break for medical treatment in the third game, a move the Indonesian thought was simply a ploy to stall for time.

“I want to win. I’m curious because I never win a tournament,” said  Hu Yun after the match, winning which propels him one step closer to his third career Superseries final.  Indeed, despite those two finals many final four finishes and other runner-up results at the Grand Prix level, Hu is still waiting for his first trip to the top of the podium in international badminton.

Indonesia’s Angga Pratama / Ryan Agung Saputra (pictured) are not quite so hapless but despite having tasted gold at the Grand Prix and Grand Prix level, Superseries victory continues to elude them.  This week, they were stopped by Koreans Kim Ki Jung and Kim Sa Rang.

“We usually play a rubber game against the Indonesian players.  It’s always a tiring match and we feel the same today,” said Kim Sa Rang after winning his ticket to the semi-finals.

The host team, meanwhile, certainly has no quarter-final representatives in men’s singles, women’s singles, or women’s doubles after a slew of early, promising upsets in each discipline.

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