Simon Santoso: I\'m The Last Indonesian in Singles
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2011/11/simon-santoso-im-last-indonesian-in.html
Indonesia’s Simon Santoso notched his second top-seeded victim in as many days to advance to the semi-finals at the China Open Friday, as he ousted Danish ace Peter Gade in three games.
“I’m happy because the last (time) I met him in Japan I (lost). Many times I lose (to) him. And then I can beat him, and win today,” said the 26-year-old, after he dispatched with the tournament’s fourth seed, 15-21, 21-15, 21-16.
In thirteen previous head-to-heads over four and a half years, Santoso has beaten Gade just three times. But this week the 26-year-old Santoso is on fire, and Thursday he slayed teammate Taufik Hidayat, the eighth seed, in another close three-game match.
“I just play and enjoy and relax and then I must (be) confident because I’m the last Indonesian in singles,” said Santoso, who won many of his points against Gade with hard slams.
“Very close, I must attack,” Santoso said about his game strategy against Gade, who struggled through earlier rounds in the tournament. But against Santoso, the Danish shuttler started strongly and was destined for victory mid-way into the second game.
“Simon is a good player. When I’m not playing at my top speed, you know, he can come into the match and he can do, he can play his game... It was difficult coming into the match with two hard matches. I gave my best and that’s it.”
As he left the court, the Dane put his hand up to a cheering crowd, which, moments before had been chanting “Peter, Peter” as he mounted an unsuccessful comeback in the third game.
In the semi-finals on Saturday Santoso will face Chen Long of China, the tournament’s second seed, who won the China showdown of the evening against teammate and fifth seed Chen Jin 21-13, 21-17. While Long ducked reporters after the match, the loser was in good spirits.
“It’s ok, you lose some, you win some and I’ll come again,” said a smiling Jin adding that he thought he was in top form Friday. In the second men’s singles semi-final, China’s Lin Dan will face his old foe Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, the man who’s 2011 record of unbeaten tournament wins Lin thwarted last Saturday at the Hong Kong Open.
Lin, the tournament’s third seed, handed team Denmark its second disappointment of the evening by beating Jan O Jorgensen 13-21, 21-15, 21-16. “I was able to maintain my composure even though my opponent Jorgensen was leading in the first game and was catching up in the second game,” said Lin.
Lee had to work a bit harder than in his first two matches to put away his opponent, sixth seed Sho Sasaki of Japan 21-18, 21-13. “At the beginning of the first game I wasn’t in a good state. Later I played better and better,” Lee said.
In women’s singles quarter-finals action, China’s Li Xuerui cut short the Cinderella story of 17-year-old Thai Inthanon Ratchanok 16-21, 21-13, 21-7, to set up an all-China semi against Xin Wang. The second match will be between second seed Wang Yihan and Liu Xin.
And in the most energized match of the night in the men’s doubles, third seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen had to battle to defeat Indonesians Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, the tournament’s eighth seeds. By the end of the 72-minute duel 22-20, 21-23, 28-26, the entire Yuan Sheng stadium was cheering the return of every volley.
“I’m happy because the last (time) I met him in Japan I (lost). Many times I lose (to) him. And then I can beat him, and win today,” said the 26-year-old, after he dispatched with the tournament’s fourth seed, 15-21, 21-15, 21-16.
In thirteen previous head-to-heads over four and a half years, Santoso has beaten Gade just three times. But this week the 26-year-old Santoso is on fire, and Thursday he slayed teammate Taufik Hidayat, the eighth seed, in another close three-game match.
“I just play and enjoy and relax and then I must (be) confident because I’m the last Indonesian in singles,” said Santoso, who won many of his points against Gade with hard slams.
“Very close, I must attack,” Santoso said about his game strategy against Gade, who struggled through earlier rounds in the tournament. But against Santoso, the Danish shuttler started strongly and was destined for victory mid-way into the second game.
“Simon is a good player. When I’m not playing at my top speed, you know, he can come into the match and he can do, he can play his game... It was difficult coming into the match with two hard matches. I gave my best and that’s it.”
As he left the court, the Dane put his hand up to a cheering crowd, which, moments before had been chanting “Peter, Peter” as he mounted an unsuccessful comeback in the third game.
In the semi-finals on Saturday Santoso will face Chen Long of China, the tournament’s second seed, who won the China showdown of the evening against teammate and fifth seed Chen Jin 21-13, 21-17. While Long ducked reporters after the match, the loser was in good spirits.
“It’s ok, you lose some, you win some and I’ll come again,” said a smiling Jin adding that he thought he was in top form Friday. In the second men’s singles semi-final, China’s Lin Dan will face his old foe Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, the man who’s 2011 record of unbeaten tournament wins Lin thwarted last Saturday at the Hong Kong Open.
Lin, the tournament’s third seed, handed team Denmark its second disappointment of the evening by beating Jan O Jorgensen 13-21, 21-15, 21-16. “I was able to maintain my composure even though my opponent Jorgensen was leading in the first game and was catching up in the second game,” said Lin.
Lee had to work a bit harder than in his first two matches to put away his opponent, sixth seed Sho Sasaki of Japan 21-18, 21-13. “At the beginning of the first game I wasn’t in a good state. Later I played better and better,” Lee said.
In women’s singles quarter-finals action, China’s Li Xuerui cut short the Cinderella story of 17-year-old Thai Inthanon Ratchanok 16-21, 21-13, 21-7, to set up an all-China semi against Xin Wang. The second match will be between second seed Wang Yihan and Liu Xin.
And in the most energized match of the night in the men’s doubles, third seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen had to battle to defeat Indonesians Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, the tournament’s eighth seeds. By the end of the 72-minute duel 22-20, 21-23, 28-26, the entire Yuan Sheng stadium was cheering the return of every volley.
