INDONESIA INT’L 2014 – Lee Hyun Il takes 3rd title

Men's singles winner Lee Hyun Il (KOR) © Don Hearn for Badzine

Lee Hyun Il denied 16-year-old Jonatan Christie a repeat title at the Astec Indonesia International title as the home team dominated the doubles finals in Jakarta.

Photos (archives)

Lee Hyun Il (pictured) of Korea stayed in match shape in the run-up to his surprise participation in his fourth Asian Games by winning the Astec Indonesia International Challenge.  Lee beat defending champion Jonatan Christie (pictured bottom) in five games to add this title to the Sri Lanka International and Canada Open crowns he took earlier this summer.

Christie began the year as the highest-ranked junior boys’ singles player but he met the eventual champion early in the World Junior Championships and was unable to finish high enough to qualify for next week’s Youth Olympic Games.  This freed him up to attempt a title defence at the Indonesia International Challenge but he will apparently have to wait until after he turns 17 to begin beating former world #1’s.

Women's doubles winners Suci Rizky Andini / Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah (INA) © Badmintonphoto

Also getting a warm-up were Suci Rizky Andini and Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah (pictured).  The pair were among the very latest to move from the reserve list to the main draw for the upcoming World Championships in Copenhagen and they got a confidence boost when they beat a pairing of former world top ten players Shendy Puspa Irawati and Vita Marissa.  For the 23-year-olds Andini and Nuraidah, it was their first international title together since they won the Asian Junior title in 2011.

The youngest winner on the day was Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the men’s doubles.  The 18-year-old was a semi-finalist at this year’s World Junior Championships but today, he and Fajar Alfian beat the more experienced Fran Kurniawan / Agripinna Prima Rahmanto Putra in straight games.

19-year-old Mayu Matsumoto of Japan limited the home team to doubles titles as she beat Indonesia’s Hera Desi in five games to win the women’s singles crown.  That match required 100 of the maximum 105 rallies but still clocked in under the hour mark.

Final results
XD: Ronald Alexander / Melati Daeva Oktaviani (INA) beat Muhammad Rijal / Vita Marissa (INA) [1]  7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7
WS: Mayu Matsumoto (JPN) beat Hera Desi (INA) [1] 11-10, 10-11, 11-6, 10-11, 11-9
MD: Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto (INA) beat Fran Kurniawan / Agripinna Prima Rahmanto Putra (INA) [6]   9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8
WD: Suci Rizky Andini / Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah (INA) [2] beat Shendy Puspa Irawati / Vita Marissa (INA) [4] 11-6, 11-9, 11-6
MS: Lee Hyun Il (KOR) [2] beat Jonatan Christie (INA)  11-10, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3

Click here for complete results

Men's singles runner-up Jonatan Christie (INA) © Chee Ying Fan for Badzine