SINGAPORE, July 2 (Bernama) -- Indonesia's Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat and Chinese ace Chen Hong renewed their rivalry in the ongoing Aviva Open Singapore 2005 badminton championship when they beat their respective opponents Saturday to set up a clash in Sunday's final.

Chen Hong beat Lee Kyun Il of Korea 15-8, 15-11 while Taufik, who fought 95 minutes to subdue the determined Dane, Peter Gade Christensen, in the quarter-final yesterday, had an easy game today against Lin Dan of China, winning 15-12, 15-8.

Taufik and Chen Hong are equally confident of their chances tomorrow although either admitted that their opponent would not be easy to beat.

"It will be tough against Taufik as he is younger ... but I am confident I can maintain my form here," said Chen Hong, without mentioning his six previous defeats to Taufik.

"I am confident of Sunday's match ... I have beaten him three years in a row," said Taufik.

Their rivalry dates back to 1998 when Taufik, then only a 17-year-old budding star, beat Chen Hong who was two years older in the first round of the Brunei Open.

It was a hard-fought first encounter as the score suggested, 15-12, 15-18, 15-3.

Taufik sent Chen Hong packing again in the quarter-finals of the All England 2000, quarter-finals of the Malaysia Open 2000, in the final of the Sanyo Indonesia Open in 2002 and 2003 and again in the final of 2004 Djarum Indonesia Open.

Then, in the semi-finals of the Yonex Japan Open 2005 last April, Chen Hong finally overcame Taufik 15-9, 15-5.

Other finals:

Men's Doubles: Sigit Budiarto-Candra Wijaya (INA) vs Boe Mathias-Carsten Mogensen (DEN).

Women's Singles: Zhou Mi (CHN) vs Zhang Ning (CHN).

Women's Doubles: Gao Ling-Huang Sui (CHN) vs Zhang Dan-Zhang Yawen (CHN)

Mixed doubles: Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thungthongka (THA) vs Zhang Jun-Gao Ling (CHN).

i am looking forward to this game, as my 2 favorite badminton players will be playing. even though i will be rooting for chen hong, if taufik wins, im pretty sure it will still be a very good game.

i'm also looking forward to the result between Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thungthongka (THA) and the chinese xd pair ZJ/GL.

Don't count Chen Hong out as the same happened to All England 2005 where Lin Dan was heavily favourite but lost. Chen Hong had said he's at his peak so I think it will be an excellent MS Final match.

chen hong will surely redeem himself in this match, and no better way than to beat taufik. i am very excited about this match-up.

I'm looking foward to this match as well. After looking at Taufik's performance against Lin Dan.. my guess is this will be a close fight.

I'm looking foward to this match as well. After looking at Taufik's performance against Lin Dan.. my guess is this will be a close fight.

yes, on neutral ground (SG) too.

I'll be rooting for Taufik. I think he's a better player over all, though a little temperamental~

Does anyone feel its a shame that Taufik dosent play Gade in a final.

It seems as though they have the closest matches but its always happends to early!

Just a thought

SINGAPORE: Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia marched into the men’s singles final of the US$170,000 Aviva Singapore Open badminton championships when he snuffed out top seed and world No 1 Lin Dan of China in the semi-finals with a thrilling 15-12, 15-8 win at the Singapore Indoor Stadium yesterday in 53 minutes.

Awaiting him in the final today is another Chinese, world No 7 Chen Hong, who brought Lee Hyung-il’s giant-killing run to an end with a straight games 15-8, 15-11 victory.

The winner in the final will take home US$13,600. The runner-up will get US$6,800.

On his way to the semi-finals, Hyung-il had knocked out Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in the third round and China’s Bao Chunlai in the quarter-finals.

Yesterday also saw the exit of the world’s top ranked men’s and women’s doubles pairs in the semi-finals.

The men’s doubles pair of Jens Eriksen-Martin Hansen Lundgaard of Denmark lost 10-15, 5-15 to Indonesia’s Sigit Budiarto-Candra Wijaya while the women’s doubles pair of Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen went down to compatriots and third seeds Gao Ling-Huang Sui 10-15, 11-15 in 52 minutes.

That defeat, however, could be a planned move by the Chinese in their bid to garner points for a better seeding at the World Championships in California.

The day, however, belonged to Taufik, who seems to be growing in confidence with each match as he prepares himself for the world meet.

But 24-year-old Taufik remained modest.

“I don’t know if I played really well or whether it was Lin Dan who did not give his best. It was just not Lin Dan’s normal game.

“Still, I am happy to have beaten him after losing to him in the Sudirman Cup,” said Taufik, who leads 6-1 in head to head clashes.

“Frankly, the defeat in the Sudirman Cup still bothers me. And the fear is always there when you step onto the court to face Lin Dan.

“But I grew in confidence after coming back from 3-9 down in the first game.

“As for the final, I lost to Chen Hong in the semi-finals of the Japan Open in April this year but I have also beaten him in the Indonesian Open final from 2002 to 2004.”

The women’s singles final will be an all-Chinese affair after Pi Hongyan of France conceded a walkover to second seeded Zhang Ning following a recurrence of a back injury.

In a repeat of last year’s final, defending champion Zhang Ning will take on compatriot and former champion Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi, seeded fifth this time, outplayed qualifier Jiang Yanjiao of China 11-4, 11-1.

“I hurt my back while playing Mia Audina in the semi-finals on Friday,” said the China-born Hongyan.

“This morning it became worse.”

...
But 24-year-old Taufik remained modest.

“I don’t know if I played really well or whether it was Lin Dan who did not give his best. It was just not Lin Dan’s normal game.


“Still, I am happy to have beaten him after losing to him in the Sudirman Cup,” said Taufik, who leads 6-1 in head to head clashes.


...


it seems they have small mistake, Taufik head to head with LD is 1-2 for LD and now 2-2, 6-1 is the h2h with Chen Hong