Badminton player Wang Chen of HongKong SAR has expressed confidence that she could finish the top inthe women's singles of the Indonesia Open Badminton Championship that will run from Dec. 15 through 19.

"I think I will come out as champion," she said during a training session at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium here Tuesday.

She said the top seed in the tournament, China-born Pi Hongyan who plays for France, has never beaten her in two head-to-head matches.

The absence of several world top players will help pave the wayfor her first international title this year, she added.

But she expected a tough battle at the semifinal where she would likely play China's Xie Xingfang, who beat her in the final of the China Open last month.

Meanwhile, local hero Taufik Hidayat said he has recovered frominjury and is ready to struggle for his fifth Indonesia Open title.

"There is no injury problem and I am ready to defend title," said the Olympic champion who went on without title since his Athens victory. Injury has forced him to withdraw from the Singapore Open.

Taufik said the biggest challenges will remain to come from Chinese top players such as Lin Dan, Bao Chunlai and Chen Hong. Hedidn't play any of these players when he stormed to victory in Athens.

Source: Xinhua