Badminton: Extra prizemoney lures stars to Open

An increase in prizemoney has enticed a strong international field to next week's New Zealand Open badminton tournament in Auckland.

The tournament's circuit status has increased from one star to two and with it the prizemoney has nearly doubled, to US$50,000 ($80,500).

Some of the world's best players from badminton strongholds such as Singapore, Indonesia, Chinese Tapei, Japan, India and Malaysia have entered the event, which starts on Tuesday.

Manchester Commonwealth Games women's singles champion Li Li of Singapore will be one of the seeded players, joined by countryman Ronald Susilo, who beat world No 1 Lin Dan to reach the Athens Olympics quarter-finals.

Malaysian Tsuen Seng Lee was runner-up in the 2002 Commonwealth Games men's singles and has reached the final of the strong Indonesia Open, and Singapore's Yen Hui Kendrick Lee is a former world junior finalist.

Men's defending champion Sairul Amar Ayob from Malaysia is returning, as are Canadian top 40 player Bobby Milroy, England's Andrew Smith and plenty of Australians.

In the women's draw the Indonesians who fought out last year's final - champion Driyanti Firdasari and Fransisca Ratansena - will be tough to beat.

New Zealand's Dan Shirley won the mixed doubles title last year and was a finalist in the men's doubles but will be without the same partners.

Sara Runesten Petersen has returned to Denmark, and John Gordon is recovering from injury.

Shirley will play with Renee Flavell in the mixed and Craig Cooper in the men's doubles and if the draws are in his favour could make the semifinals or finals, says Badminton New Zealand executive director Peter Dunne.

After the tournament New Zealand will host Singapore in a three-test series.

- NZPA