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Lee Chong Wei praises Ihsan’s fighting spirit in semifinal
Indonesia’s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa may have failed to beat Malaysian badminton giant Lee Chong Wei in the men’s singles semifinal of the BCA Indonesia Open, but he nevertheless earned praise from his opponent.
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Indonesian Ihsan Maulana Mustofa plays against Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei during the men's singles semifinal match at the Indonesia Open badminton tournament at the Istora stadium in Jakarta on Saturday. Ihsan lost 21-9, 21-18. (JP/Dita Alangkara)
Indonesia’s Ihsan Maulana Mustofa may have failed to beat Malaysian badminton giant Lee Chong Wei in the men’s singles semifinal of the BCA Indonesia Open, but he nevertheless earned praise from his opponent.
Chong Wei, currently the second-ranked player in the world, applauded the 21-year old Indonesian after defeating him in a straight 21-9, 21-18 performance on Saturday, saying Ihsan had a bright future in badminton thanks to his fighting spirit.
Ihsan was an attacking player, like the former World and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat, Chong Wei said. Therefore, all he needed was more experience at big matches.
"Just one or two years from now, when he has more experience, he will be among the world’s top ten players," Chong Wei said after the match.
The Malaysian flag-bearer at the Olympics will take on Chinese Houwei or Danish Jan O Jorgensen in Sunday’s final.
“I will do my best to win the Indonesian Open for the sixth time,” Chong Wei said.
Meanwhile, Ihsan said he was grateful for having played Chong Wei, as the match had improved his skills.
“I gained experience here. I could learn from Chong Wei about the smashing technique and his calmness on the court,” Ihsan said, adding that Chong Wei’s smash was full of power.
The unseeded player also admitted to some errors during the semifinal. He said he had played timidly in the first game, which had impacted the whole match.
In the second game, Ihsan seemed more confident when hitting the shuttlecock. However, he made several errors, including smashing into the net.
The fan of Taufik Hidayat said he hoped Chong Wei’s prediction would come true and that he would one day be a top player.
“God willing, one or two years from now, I and Antony Sinisuka Ginting and Jonatan Christie will be world top ten players,” Ihsan said, referring to fellow Indonesian shuttlers. (bbn)
