Indonesia Badminton Duo Liliyana, Nova Shuffled in Shanghai

Indonesia Badminton Duo Liliyana, Nova Shuffled in Shanghai
Liliyana Natsir?s on-again, off-again quest for a new mixed doubles partner renews this week at the China Open Super Series.

Her longtime partner, 32-year-old Nova Widianto, has repeatedly said he is too old to compete at the highest level and asked the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) to find another partner for Liliyana.

After reaching the Taiwan Gold Grand Prix quarterfinals with Muhammad Rijal in August, Liliyana will team up with Devin Lahardi Fitriawan for the Super Series season finale, which begins today in Shanghai.

Liliyana and Nova have been together since 2004 and became one of the best mixed doubles teams in the world. Together they won 14 tournaments, including world championship titles in 2005 and 2007.

National team mixed doubles coach Richard Mainaky acknowledged Nova?s age has been slowing the duo down his year, though they still won Super Series championships in Malaysia and France. They lost in the finals of the Hong Kong Super Series and the world championship.

?Devin and Liliyana have been showing good improvement as a pair during practices in the national training camp. I think Liliyana will not find a big problem playing with Devin because he plays almost like Nova, a playmaker with complete skills,? Richard told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.

?I don?t want to put too much pressure on them in their first outing. I just want to see how good they can play in China.?

Nova and Liliyana lost 22-20, 21-16 to Poland?s Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Kostiuczyk in Sunday?s final at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong.

A day after the final, Nova went straight home for reconditioning before rejoining Liliyana at the Southeast Asian Games in Laos and the Super Series Masters Finals in Johor Baru, Malaysia, next month.

?If I push [Nova] to play in China, I?m afraid he wouldn?t play at his best in the SEA Games,? Richard said. ?I?m very proud of his performances throughout the year. I think he has shown a stable performance for a player at his age.?

Devin and Liliyana will likely have an easy first-round encounter in Shanghai as they meet New Zealand?s Henry Tam and Donna Haliday.

Indonesian youngsters Fran Kurniawan and Pia Zebadiah Bernadet have a tough opener against mixed doubles top seeds Lee Yong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung of South Korea. However, Fran and Pia ousted the Koreans in the second round in Hong Kong last week.

Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan hope to bounce back from their poor showing in Hong Kong, where they lost in the quarterfinals. The men?s doubles No. 3 seeds open with China?s Chai Biao and Zhang Nan.

Their half of the draw also features an all-Indonesian opener between sixth seeds Alvent Yulianto Chandra and Hendra Aprida Gunawan, and unseeded Bona Septano and Muhammad Ahsan. In addition, Rian Sukmawan and Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki face Malaysia?s Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah.

Third-seeded Taufik Hidayat and No. 8 seed Sony Dwi Kuncoro begin their final chance to win a Super Series title this year against China?s Du Pengyu and Andrew Smith of England, respectively. No. 7 seed Simon Santoso opens against Kenichi Tago of Japan.