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Indonesia’s old guard turns back the clock
Loses focus: Indonesia’s Hendra Setiawan (right) returns the shuttlecock while partner Mohammad Ahsan looks on during their quarterfinal match against Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe at the 2019 Blibli Indonesia Open badminton tournament at Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Friday
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oses focus: Indonesia’s Hendra Setiawan (right) returns the shuttlecock while partner Mohammad Ahsan looks on during their quarterfinal match against Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe at the 2019 Blibli Indonesia Open badminton tournament at Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Friday. Hendra and Ahsan won 21-15, 9-21, 22-20.(JP/Seto Wardhana)
Wise men say experience is the teacher of all things.
Thirty-four-year-old Indonesian Hendra Setiawan knew this all too well when he and his partner Mohammad Ahsan, 31, survived a quarterfinal scare with the type of composure seen only in grizzled veterans at the 2019 Blibli Indonesia Open badminton tournament in Jakarta on Friday.
Former world number one Hendra and Ahsan defeated Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe of Japan 21-15, 9-21, 22-20 in a 63-minute showdown to reach Saturday’s semifinals.
Owning the lead at 19-13 in the deciding game against Endo and Watanabe, the favored Indonesian pair made the home crowd at the Istora Senayan indoor stadium hold their collective breath by allowing their opponents to come back.
The Japanese found their rhythm late, thanks to a drop in the host players’ performance, to take the lead by a score of 20-19.
Instead of being rattled and giving away the match, the ageing Indonesians — known as the “Daddies” by their fans — dug deep to win three consecutive points and claim the match 22-20.
“We are very grateful to be able to get by this crucial match. We once led but then we were overtaken before we finally won the game. We are very grateful for the win,” Ahsan said after the match.
Hendra, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist with former partner Markis Kido, said he had enough experience with Ahsan, which contributed greatly to Friday’s battle, especially in the deciding game.
“We actually didn’t lose our focus but we just played with tightness, wanting to close the game as soon as possible,” he said.
“When our opponents [forced match point], I didn’t think about winning or losing. My focus was to save the points,” he said.
Hendra’s experience taught him to deal with the big moment. He recalled that he often found himself succumbing to the pressure in critical moments in the past, resulting in losses.
“I learned that when I hesitate, it causes me to make unforced errors,” he added.
At the All England championships in March, the veteran duo faced a similar path, overcoming a difficult situation against Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia in the final, when Hendra sustained a right calf injury. The Indonesians, however, fought through to win the trophy.
In the next round, Hendra and Ahsan will face another Japanese pair, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, who defeated Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia in the quarters.
Elsewhere in the bracket, the nation saw another pair advance to the men’s doubles semifinals in world number one Kevin Sanjaya and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, who outclassed new duo Zhang Nan and Ou Xuan Yi of China on Friday.
As for Malaysian mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying, experience was key in their defeat of Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad and Winny Oktavina Kandow in the quarters.
Richard Mainnaky, who heads the country’s mixed doubles team, said Winny, being the youngest of four on the court, still needed to log in a lot of playing hours to improve her game.
Jakarta’s Istora Senayan is one of the noisiest badminton venues to play in worldwide, which can energize the athletes — even those from abroad.
Mixed doubles pair Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith of England said they preferred playing in front of a loud crowd as it could energize them.
“I don’t like silence because it’s too hard to get any energy. Some noises are good. Sometimes it’s quite difficult [because] you can’t hear yourself hit the shuttle or you can’t speak to your partner because it’s very, very loud,” Smith told The Jakarta Post.
“But’s it’s enjoyable. This is what makes the tournament stand out from the rest.”
Ellis said: “I wouldn’t change anything. It’s very unique […] I would never say that I would want to play in a quiet environment. I think it’s an amazing atmosphere.”
Outside of the arena, spectators were treated with entertainment and various eateries. A playground nearby gave children, a place to run around in between matches.
Asronah said her granddaughter, a budding badminton talent herself, had the time of her life.
“I want to introduce the tournament’s atmosphere because my granddaughter likes badminton and she has already joined a badminton club,” she told the Post.
