DANISH number one Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen sent unseeded South Korean Kim Hak-kyun crashing down to earth with a lop-sided semi-final victory in the Lipton Hong Kong Open at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Wan Chai, yesterday.
Kim, who had disposed of China's defending champion Wu Wenkai and top-seeded Indonesian Arbi Heryanto in earlier rounds, was helpless against the towering 1.91-metre Stuer-Lauridsen and lost 15-0, 15-6.
''He's so tall and has such a long reach that I just couldn't hit anything past him,'' said the bewildered Korean.
Stuer-Lauridsen dropped only one rally as he smashed his way to a 12-0 lead before Kim settled down. Although the Korean recollected his composure and won a couple of hand-outs, he never manage to win a point in the opening game.
Kim started off promisingly in the second game but he misjudged the length of several Stuer-Lauridsen shots and allowed the third-seeded Dane to pull away from 3-3 for a 15-6 win.
''I knew I had to get a good start and couldn't let him in, otherwise he is be very difficult to beat,'' said Stuer-Lauridsen, bidding to be the first Dane to win the Hong Kong crown when he faces Indonesia's Hermawan Susanto today.
''I've played a very good tournament up to now but I will have to be at my peak to beat Susanto, who should be the favourite for the title.'' Susanto, the joint fifth seed who has yet to win a Grand Prix event this year, overcame a lapse of concentration in the second game to stop second-seeded compatriot Ardy Wiranata 15-6, 6-15, 15-10.
