Taufik struggles into second round

Former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat turned in another unconvincing performance as he limped into the second round of the Bankaltim Indonesia Open GP Gold on Wednesday.

The second seed, who is the favourite to win this tournament following the withdrawals of China’s on-form player Chen Long as well as 2010 world champion Chen Jin, was given a tough time by Malaysian journeyman K Yogendran before winning in three-games.
The unheralded Malaysian blasted his way to the opening game, winning 21-17 but was then crushed by Taufik, who win 21-7 in the second to force a rubber-game.
In the decider, Taufik continued his attacking play, dictating the tempo to carve out a 21-13 win, which ensured him a second round tie against another Malaysian – Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin.
Iskandar reached the second round when he took out Indonesia’s Sukamta Evert 21-14, 21-14. If Taufik beats Iskandar, he faces the prospect of facing his third Malaysian opponent in Chong Wei Feng in the third round.
Wei Feng beat Indonesia’s Reksy Aureza Megananda 21-12 ,21-12 to set-up a second round meeting with another Indonesian, Rudi Cahyadi Budhiawan.
Also in the bottom half of the draw is 2008 world junior champion Wang Zhengming. The Chinese ace defeated Taufik the last time they meet at the Li Ning Singapore Open Superseries and he reached the second round when he defeated Indonesia’s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 21-14, 21-18.
He will now take on Malaysia’s Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif, who edged Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen 21-11, 16-21, 23-21.  
In the men’s doubles, brothers Bona Septano and Markis Kido stayed on course to meet to make it an all-Indonesian final when they won their respective first round matches.
Bona and his partner Mohammad Ahsan, who are the top seeds, handed Yogendran his second loss of the day when they beat him and his partner Yeoh Kay Bin 21-13, 21-11.
Olympic and Asian Games gold medallist Markis and Hendra Setiawan whipped Thailand’s Patipat Chalardchaleam-Nipitphon Puangpuapech 21-8, 21-14.
In the mixed doubles, world No. 2 Tantowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (above), defeated fellow Indonesians Lukhi Apri Nugroho-Ririn Amelia 21-9, 21-14.