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2019 All England champions Ahsan, Hendra find light at end of tunnel
The chance for Hendra Setiawan and Mohamad Ahsan to win their second All England title looked like it was gone when they lost their first game of the 2019 All England men’s doubles finals on Sunday night.
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Indonesian men's doubles players Hendra Setiawan (left) and Mohammad Ahsan pose on the podium after winning the 2019 All England title in Birmingham, England on March 10. (PBSI/PBSI)
T
he chance for Hendra Setiawan and Mohamad Ahsan to win their second All England title looked like it was gone when they lost their first game of the 2019 All England men’s doubles finals on Sunday night, Jakarta time.
They were behind 21-11 in the first game to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wuui Yik even as Hendra was not in prime condition after hurting his right calf during Saturday’s semifinal against a Japanese pair.
Hendra made several unforced errors in the Sunday’s first game, which showed that he was truly not fit to compete. The injury limited the 34-year-old’s movements and the pair strategized by putting Hendra up front.
The Birmingham Arena exploded with noise from Malaysian supporters as they were expecting their players to win an All England title again after more than a decade. The Malaysian pair seemed to be a step away from claiming it.
On the Indonesian side, however, coach Herry Iman Pierngadi reignited the fire that Ahsan and Hendra had always had, trying to keep hope alive that the pair could steal the second game and push for a rubber match.
The coach reminded the pair to not hastily attack their opponents to avoid the unnecessary errors. Herry looked convinced that his proteges still had a big chance to win it.
"Let's try one by one," said Herry, during the interval after Ahsan and Hendra lost the first game as the match was aired and streamed live by TVRI.
The pep-talk seemed to do the trick.
The Indonesians began to find their grip again and despite the odds they started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Executing a well-thought-out strategy, the seasoned pair applied a smart tactic that buried the Malaysians’ dream, owning the remaining two games 21-14, 21-12 before claiming their second title, having won their first in 2014.
The podium was surely reserved for the Daddies, a nickname their fans gave for them for their role as fathers -- the perfect place to celebrate their deserved victory.
Usually appearing calm, Hendra looked a bit different throughout the final match as if he was celebrating every point he and his partner made.
When the Malaysian pair failed to return Ahsan’s smash in the match point, Hendra and Ahsan did not go big for the celebration. They simply smiled to indicate they were relieved and grateful.
"I tried to focus on the game and [did] not think about the injury," said Hendra in his winning speech, which sparked cheering from the crowd.
Hendra and Ahsan, who have gone fully professional, were the underdogs in the prestigious tournament. They are no longer members of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) national training camp, but they still train there.
It was their juniors, two-time All England champions Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, who carried the burden as the favorite pair, but they lost the battle early after succumbing to China’s Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan in the first round. (nkn)
