ASIAN Games champion Heryanto Arbi lived up to his top seeding with a comprehensive 15-9, 15-11 victory over fellow-Indonesian Ardy Wiranata in the Konica Hong Kong Open Championships final yesterday.
Arbi's triumph at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium is his fourth major title this year other than his Asian Games success - having also won the World Cup, All England and Taiwan Open.
'This is one of my best performances this year since the All England,' said an elated 22-year-old Arbi.
'Normally I am very anxious to finish the game and go for my shots, but today I waited for my chances and made very few mistakes.
'I knew I had to be patient because Ardy is more experienced than I am and very good in defence, and I'm extremely happy I held my nerves and wasn't rushing things.' Arbi rocked his compatriot with his sharp smashes and quickly sprang to a 5-0 lead, but he slowed his game and engaged Wiranata in long rallies once the latter had settled down.
The change of tactics worked as Wiranata, a winner of four Grand Prix titles this year, never got closer than 7-10 before Arbi pulled away to win the opening set 15-9.
