INDONESIA OPEN 2012 R32 – Superseded at the Superseries

Sony Dwi Kuncoro was not the only Indonesian to shine early at the 2012 Djarum Indonesia Open Superseries Premier.  Olympic gold medallist Markis Kido and sister Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth kicked […]

Sony Dwi Kuncoro was not the only Indonesian to shine early at the 2012 Djarum Premier.  Olympic gold medallist Markis Kido and sister Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth kicked off a day full of first round upsets for the home team.

By Aaron Wong, Badzine Correspondent.  Photos: Yves Lacroix for Badmintonphoto (live in Jakarta)

Heroine

Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth, sister of Beijing Olympic gold medallist Markis Kido, starred as the heroine of the first round of the main draw of the Indonesia Premier Superseries by dumping two world number 5 ranked pairs, first in mixed and then women’s doubles.

She partnered her more illustrious brother, Kido, to dismiss this year’s Australian Open champions who are the Taiwanese mixed doubles specialists Chen/Cheng.  Pia’s next victims were this year’s Malaysian Open and European Champions from Denmark, Pedersen/Rytter Juhl, whom she ousted with partner Rizki Amelia Pradipta (pictured left with Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth).

But it wasn’t to be complete family joy as their brother Bona Septano, seeded 6th with partner Mohammed Ahsan, was unable to overcome the Malaysians Hoon Thien How / Tan Wee Kiong and went down 16-21, 21-19, 17-21.

Indonesia’s deep doubles talent

Unfortunately undocumented by television coverage, Indonesia’s B team shone through in men’s and women’s doubles on the other two courts, in the process lighting up their nation’s prospects for regeneration in the sport and delighting the vociferous crowd at the Istora stadium.

The Thailand Open champions from the weekend just past, who are China’s 4th pair, Liu Xiaolong / Qiu Zihan, were unceremoniously removed by Indonesian opponents 40 spots below them in the world rankings.  China’s 3rd men’s doubles pair Shen Ye / Hong Wei, ranked world number 10, as well as Denmark’s 2nd pair Mads Conrad-Petersen / Jonas Rasmussen (pictured right) suffered the same fate against the locals.

Notable results by Indonesians:
XD: Markis Kido / Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth [WR344] (INA) def Chen Hung Ling / Cheng Wen Hsing [WR5] (TPE) 21-17, 21-18
WD: Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth / Rizki Amelia Pradipta [WR130](INA) def Christinna Pedersen / Kamilla Ryter Juhl  [WR5] (DEN) 21-17, 21-18
MD: Andrei Adistia / Christopher Rusdianto [WR55] (INA) def Liu Xiaolong / Qiu Zihan [WR15] (CHN) 21-19, 23-21
MD: Gideon Markus Fernaldi / Agripinna Prima Rahmanto Putra [WR32] (INA) def Hong Wei / Shen Ye 21-17, 22-20 [WR10] (CHN)
MD: Ricky Karanada Suwardi / Muhammad Ulinnuha [WR44] (INA) def Mads Conrad-Petersen / Jonas Rasmussen 23-21, 21-17 [WR16] (DEN)
WD: Bao Yixin / Zhong Qianxin [WR9] (CHN) def Anneke Feinya Agustin / Nitya Krishninda Maheswari [WR19] (INA) 21-14, 18-21, 21-16
MS: Sony Dwi Kuncoro [WR65] (INA) def Peter Gade [WR5] (DEN)

Superseded already

It was a day when badminton’s nouveau noms du jour were made to realise their fame, reputations, and new found confidence would be short-lived as they have been quickly superseded by even newer up-and-comers.   India Open men’s singles champion Shon Wan Ho of Korea lost to Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki.  Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen succumbed to India’s Ajay Jayaram; and England’s best Rajiv Ouseph, Commonwealth Games silver medallist, went down to Taiwan’s Hsu Jen Hao (pictured).

Today is testament to Indonesia’s potential in doubles for the future, and also points to the good things that second tier badminton nations like Hong Kong, India, and Taiwan have been doing as these achievements are hardly a fluke, rather it is evidence that their programs are evolving better players as these men are about the third to fifth world top twenty quality singles players each of these countries have consistently produced over the last five years.

Similarly, Thailand continue to prove the strides they are making in the women’s game despite some of the youngsters being defeated today.  Youth Olympics gold medallist Sapsiree Taerattanachai narrowly lost to 8th seed German Juliane Schenk 22-24, 18-21.  Busan Ongbamrungphan forced Chinese 3rd seed Wang Shixian to ultimately win after 62 minutes, 21-15, 17-21, 21-14.  The twenty-year-old Sapsiree even teamed up in the women’s doubles to push the India Open champions Jung/Kim to three tough games.

Click here for complete Wednesday results

Aaron Wong

About Aaron Wong

Aaron Wong only ever coveted badminton's coolest shot - a reverse backhand clear. He is renowned for two other things: 1) Writing tournament previews that adjust the focus between the panorama of the sport's progress, down to the microscopic level of explaining the striking characteristics of players; 2) Dozing off during men's doubles at the London Olympic Games. Contact him at: aaron @ badzine.net