GERMAN OPEN: DANISH WOMEN STUMBLE IN QUARTERFINALS

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS REPORT is presented by badminton world champions YANG YANG (1987 and 1989) and ZHAO JIAN HUA (1991) and by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS **

October 3, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - The Danish badminton juggernaut at the German Open badminton tournament being held in Saarbrucken was temporarily sidetracked today, when three of the seeded Danish players were defeated by non-Danes in the quarterfinals of the women's singles event.

Third-seed Mette Pedersen, winner of the Russian Open last month, was shocked by the eighth-seeded Swede Margit Borg. Borg had opened up strongly with a first game win at 11-1. Pedersen fought back to take the second 11-8, but she fell short in the decider, losing to Borg 8-11.

Fourth-seed Anne Sondergaard was defeated by Kelly Morgan of Wales 12-10, 6-11 and 1-11, while fifth-seed Mette Sorensen, a finalist at the Russian Open last month, was defeated by second-seed Marina Andrievskaya from Sweden 7-11 and 4-11.

Top-seed Camilla Martin though came through for Denmark, whipping Anika Sietz of Germany 11-0 and 11-1.

The other Danes also came through in the other events.

In men's singles, Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, the top-seed, defeated a tired Kevin Han from the United States 15-4 and 15-4. Han, the fifth seed, had to survive two tough three-game matches yesterday to become the first American male to reach the quarterfinals of a major international badminton tournament in more than 2 decades. In today's match, he did not have enough of a game left to contend with the Olympic champion from Denmark.

World champion and second-seed Peter Rasmussen also won his quarterfinal match. He beat the fourteenth-seeded German Oliver Pongratz 15-7 and 15-7. Third-seed Peter Gade Christensen defeated fellow Dane Anders Boesen, seeded sixteenth, 15-7 and 15-6, while the fourth-seed, Jeroen van Dijk from the Netherlands, ousted Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark, seeded seventh, 15-11 and 15-5.

In men's doubles, three Danish pairs and one English combination made it through to the semifinals. Top-seeds Jon Holst-Christensen and Michael Sogaard eliminated Nick Ponting and John Quinn from England, the sixth seeds, 18-13 and 15-13. Second-seeds Jim Laugessen and Thomas Stavngaard beat Michael Helber and Bjorn Siegemund of Germany 15-6 and 17-14.

Fifth-seeds Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen scored a minor upset when they defeated the third-seeds Peter Axelsson and Par-Gunnar Jonsson of Sweden 15-8 and 15-4.

England's Simon Archer and Chris Hunt qualified for the semifinals with their 15-7 and 15-8 victory over the unseeded but dangerous Malaysians Rosman Razak and Tan Kim Her.

Three Danish pairs also made it through to the semifinals in the women's doubles event. Top-seeds Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen walloped the pair of Anne Mette Bille from Denmark and Margit Borg from Sweden 15-7 and 15-1, while second-seeds Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen and Marlene Thomsen eliminated the sixth-seeded Scots Elinor Middlemiss and Sandra Watt 15-6 and 15-6.

Fourth seeds Ann Jorgensen and Majken Vange beat the fifth seeds Nicola Beck and Joanne Davies from England, 15-8 and 15-4.

Swedes Marina Andrievskaya and Catrine Bengtsson joined the ranks of the semifinalists when they upset the third-seeded Dutch pair of Erica van den Heuvel and Monique Hoogland 15-10 and 15-13.

In the mixed doubles semifinals played this evening, top-seeds Jens Eriksen and Marlene Thomsen of Denmark defeated Chris Hunt and Donna Kellogg of England 18-15 and 15-8. Hunt and Kellogg were seeded third.

Second-seeds Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen, also from Denmark, beat fellow Danes Janek Roos and Helene Kirkegaard 15-12 and 15-9 in the other mixed doubles semifinal.

Tomorrow's matches (number before name indicates seeding):

Mixed Doubles - Finals
1-Jens Eriksen/Marlene Thomsen (Denmark) vs 2-Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark)

Women's Singles - Semifinals
1-Camilla Martin (Denmark) vs 8-Margit Borg (Sweden)
2-Marina Andrievskaya (Sweden) vs 7-Kelly Morgan (Wales)

Men's Singles - Semifinals
1-Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (Denmark) vs 4-Jeroen van Dijk (Netherlands)
2-Peter Rasmussen (Denmark) vs 3-Peter Gade Christensen (Denmark)

Women's Doubles - Semifinals
1-Helene Kirkegaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark) vs 7-Marina Andrievskaya/Catrine Bengtsson (Sweden)
2-Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen/Marlene Thomsen (Denmark) vs 4-Ann Jorgensen/Majken Vange (Denmark)

Men's Doubles - Semifinals
1-Jon Holst-Christensen/Michael Sogaard (Denmark) vs 5-Jens Eriksen/Jesper Larsen (Denmark)
2-Jim Laugessen/Thomas Stavngaard (Denmark) vs 4-Simon Archer/Chris Hunt (England)

(dsimmons)