FINAL OF MEN'S SINGLES AND DOUBLES MATCHES.




Initials


SPORT: BADMINTON
EDITORS NOTE: THIS FILM IS FOR USE IN REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWS PROGRAMMES ONLY, NO MORE THAN TWO MINUTES MAY BE USED IN ANY SINGLE BULLETIN.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: RUDY HARTONO, 18 YEAR-OLD INDONESIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FROM EAST JAVA, TODAY (SATURDAY) BECAUSE THE YOUNGEST PLAYER TO WIN THE MEN'S SINGLES TITLE IN THE ALL-ENGLAND BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS AT WEMBLEY, LONDON. THE DOUBLES TITLE WENT TO THE DANES ERLAND KOPS AND HENNING BORCH.

IN THE FINAL HARTONO BEAT THE FAVOURITE AND 1965 CHAMPION, TAN AIK HUANG, OF MALAYSIA, BY 15-12, 15-9 IN 49 MINUTES. IT WAS AN INTRIGUING DUEL BETWEEN TWO PLAYERS WITH SIMILAR STYLES. THE VITAL DIFFERENCE WAS THAT YOUNG HARTONO WAS MORE ADVENTUROUS THAN HIS EXPERIENCED 21 YEAR-OLD OPPONENT, WHO WAS MAKING HIS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE APPEARANCE IN THE FINAL.

BOTH PLAYERS USED THE FULL DIMENSIONS OF THE COURT, COVERING VAST AREAS OF SPACE AS THEY MANIPULATED TO FIND AN OPENING. HARTONO, WHO IS ON HIS FIRST VISIT TO EUROPE, SHOWED NO NERVES IN THIS CLASH FOR THE UNOFFICIAL WORLD TITLE. HE WAS ALWAYS MORE AGGRESSIVE, BUT HE MIXED HIS PLAY WITH SOME DELICATE RETURNS JUST OVER THE NET TO TRAP HIS OPPONENT.

AIK HUANG, WHO LAST NIGHT BEAT ERLAND KOPS, THE DANE WHO HAD DEFEATED HIM IN THE FINAL A YEAR AGO, TRIED DESPERATELY TO STAY IN THE MATCH, BUT PLAYED TOO MANY LOOSE SHOTS IN THE CLOSING STAGES.

IN THE DOUBLES ERLAND KOPS AND HENNING BORCH RETAINED THEIR TITLE BY CRUSHING MALAYSIANS TAN YEE KHAM AND NG BOON BEE 15-6, 15-4 IN 33 MINUTES.

THE DANES CRUISED TO VICTORY AS THE MALAYSIANS, TRYING TO REGAIN THE TITLE THEY LOST LAST YEAR, MADE A STRING OF MISTAKES. IN THE NINE YEARS YEE KHAN AND BOON BEE HAVE BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER, THEY HAVE SELDOM PRODUCED SUCH A DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE.

KOPS WAS THE OUTSTANDING MAN ON COURT, WHILE BORCH PROVIDED EXCELLENT BACKING.