INDONESIA OPEN 2017 Day 3 – “Lucky” win for Setiawan/Tan

Two-time Indonesia Open winner Hendra Setiawan had to scrape through the closest match of the day on Wednesday as he and Tan Boong Heong advanced to the second round.

By Mathilde Liliana Perada, Badzine Correspondent live in Jakarta.  Photos: Badmintonphoto (live)

Looking forward for his third title at Indonesia Open, Hendra Setiawan admitted it was a lucky win for him and his partner in the first round of Indonesia Open Superseries Premier.  Setiawan paired up with fellow former world #1 Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia earlier this year but the pair has struggled to make their expected impact on the men’s doubles scene, managing no better than one Grand Prix Gold semi-final.  Playing in Jakarta, for the first time, though, they won dramatically after 71 minutes of playing.

Setiawan said that Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe (photo) – who have also just formed as a pair from late last year – played really well.  The Indonesia-Malaysia representatives already prepared to face a tiring match against them.

“As we knew, the Japanese players were not easy to defeat and we anticipated it since begining of the match.  The score was too close and there was luck on our side,” Setiawan said after the match.

Setiawan/Tan lost 10-21 in the first game and trailed 18-20 in the second.  The luck worked out and the game continued to the third.  The tension carried into the third game while the two pairs were still even at 15-all.  Setiawan and Tan tried to attack Watanabe, who was by far the youngest and least experienced on the court.

They managed to get the points they needed and it ended 23-21 in their favour.  Setiawan/Tan will face world #3 Li Junhui / Liu Yuchen, a tall order, so to speak, to keep on track in the race for the title.

Korean women to face home favourites

In the women’s doubles second round, Korea’s 3rd and 4th seeds, Chang Ye Na / Lee So Hee and Jung Kyung Eun / Shin Seung Chan, will both face not only talented opponents but also the home crowd.  On Wednesday, Jung/Shin beat China’s reunited pair Bao Yixin / Tang Jinhua 23-21, 21-13.  The Koreans let the Chinese pair open up a commanding lead early in the match, trailing 6-13 at one point, but then they managed to get point after point until they had equalized at 15 and things started to turn in their favour.

 “The Chinese pair had good attacking and defending and they were good at placing the shuttle,” Jung Kyung Eun said about their opponents.

Once they managed to tie the game, these Korean ladies became more dangerous and more enthusiastic to score.  After squeezing by the Chinese pair in the first game, they dominated the second.  Jung/Shin will meet Anggia Shitta Awanda / Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istirani in the next round.

After their positive result at Sudirman Cup final, Chang Ye Na / Lee So Hee extended their positive result at the Indonesia Open 2017.  Chang/Lee beat Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen to secure a place in the second round and will face another home representative, Thailand Open winners Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu.

To keep their names on the board for the second round, Polii/Rahayu sent home another pair of dangerous Korean ladies.  They saved two match points in the second game by Chae Yoo Jung / Kim So Yeong (photo) before dominating their decider and earning the right to play the All England champions on Thursday.

Home disappointment

 The disappointment began when top-seeded Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo lost to Kim Astrup / Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (photo) in the opening match on Wednesday.  It continued with a loss by Mohamad Ahsan / Rian Agung Saputro and another by Berry Angriawan / Hardianto.  In fact, of all the Indonesian pairs who have won men’s doubles titles in the past year, the only one to survive to the second round were Chinese Taipei Masters winners Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

Ahsan admited that they still need time and more patience to get a title.  They couldn’t avoid unforced errors even when they were leading.  They will evaluate their performance in order to fix it up.

Men’s singles was no more encouraging, Tommy Sugiarto (photo) had to concede his 15th loss to Lee Chong Wei.  He played very well in the first game but it didn’t last long into the second.

Sugiarto said that he already gave his best but the loss became part of his experience in this tournament: “There was a moment when I was leading in the third game but unfortunately I couldn’t take the advantage of it.”

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting was stopped in his tracks in his home tournament with total prize money of US $1 million.  He lost to H. S. Prannoy from India 13-21, 18-21.  Therefore, Indonesia only has Jonatan Christie left for the title race in men’s singles.

Click here for complete Wednesday results