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Indonesia's title hopes rest on doubles pairs
Advancing: Indonesian womenâs doubles pair Greysia Polii (front) and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari celebrate gaining a point against Japanese Mami Naito and Shizuka Matsuo during their second round match at the Korea Open badminton championship in Seoul on Thursday
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Advancing: Indonesian womenâs doubles pair Greysia Polii (front) and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari celebrate gaining a point against Japanese Mami Naito and Shizuka Matsuo during their second round match at the Korea Open badminton championship in Seoul on Thursday. Greysia/Nitya won 21-9, 21-16.(Courtesy of PBSI) (front) and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari celebrate gaining a point against Japanese Mami Naito and Shizuka Matsuo during their second round match at the Korea Open badminton championship in Seoul on Thursday. Greysia/Nitya won 21-9, 21-16.(Courtesy of PBSI)
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span class="inline inline-center">Advancing: Indonesian women's doubles pair Greysia Polii (front) and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari celebrate gaining a point against Japanese Mami Naito and Shizuka Matsuo during their second round match at the Korea Open badminton championship in Seoul on Thursday. Greysia/Nitya won 21-9, 21-16.(Courtesy of PBSI)
Indonesia has only three representatives, all in the doubles, as the Korean Open enters the quarterfinals on Friday, after the team's men's and women's singles players were all eliminated from the competition.
Men's doubles pair Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan, women's doubles pair Greysia Polii/Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and mixed doubles pair Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir will continue to carry Indonesia's hopes for a title.
However, the men's and women's singles events proved to be minefields for Indonesian players. Tommy Sugiarto, Ihsan Maulana Mustofa and Jonatan Christie all followed Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka out.
Tommy lost to Kento Momota of Japan 21-15, 14-21, 21-13. Jonatan also crumbled in three games, 21-15, 16-21, 21-13 to Sho Sasaki of Japan while Ihsan was thumped 21-17, 21-10 by Chinese Tian Houwei.
In the women's singles, Lindaweni Fanetri and Maria Febe Kusumastuti crashed out earlier.
World number twos Hendra /Ahsan defeated Malaysians Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong 21-19, 21-19 in the second round at the SK Handball Stadium in Seoul on Thursday to meet Kim Gi-jung/Kim Sa-rang. The hosts beat Indonesians Angga Pratama/Ricky Karanda Suwardi 21-19, 21-15.
It will be the sixth meeting between Hendra/Ahsan and Gi-jung/Sa-rang with the Indonesian pair winning four out of five.
Despite holding the upper hand, Hendra/Ahsan are refusing to take their Korean opponents lightly. They said their opponents might be fired up playing in front of a home crowd.
'We're ready for the match. Whoever the opponents are, wherever the match takes place, we have to be ready physically and mentally,' Hendra said as quoted by badmintonindonesia.org.
'I think tomorrow's going to be something. We have met several times. I'm sure they've also prepared themselves,' said the gold medalist of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing when partnered with Markis Kido.
Ahsan said: 'The chances are 50-50 We have to stay focused to fight against the South Koreans.'
Against the Malaysian pair, Ahsan said that he and Hendra had managed to cut off Goh/Tan's attacking strategy, right before the Malaysians had the chance to develop it.
'We pushed them down as much as we could,' he added.
World mixed doubles number twos, Tontowi/Liliyana outclassed compatriots Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto 21-10, 21-13 to face Lu Kai/Huang Waqiong of China in the quarterfinals. The Chinese pair got their ticket after beating hosts Kim Duk-young/Kim Hye-rin 16-21, 21-18, 21-13.
Greysia/Nitya had to fight for almost an hour to humble Mami Naito/Shizuka Matsuo of Japan 21-9, 21-16.
'We didn't find any trouble in the first game. It was easy for us to pick up points. But in the second game, the Japanese raised gear with them becoming more prepared to receive attacks,' Nitya said.
The world number fives will face world number fours Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang, the Chinese pair beating Chaladchalam Chayanit/Phataimas Muenwong of Thailand 21-17, 21-14 in the second round.
It will be tough for them against the Chinese pair as in previous matches they have managed to win only two out of five meetings.
'We just have to be ready. They are strong shuttlers, but not the strongest. We've won some matches against them,' Nitya said.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's losing pair Angga/Ricky admitted that they both made too many mistakes during the match against Gi-jung/Sa-rang.
'We were hasty,' said Ricky. 'We couldn't catch up with [Gi-jung/Sa-rang] in the early points, and later we made too many blunders.'
Seeded eighth here in the mixed doubles, Riky Widianto/Puspita Richi Dili, also had to go home early after losing 21-8, 21-12 against Shin Bake-cheol/Chae Yoo-jung of South Korea.
