TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Fajar, Rian redeem All England loss with Swiss triumph
Redemption song: Fajar Alfian and M
Change Size
R
edemption song: Fajar Alfian and M. Rian Ardianto (right) hold the 2019 Swiss Open trophy after defeating Taiwanese pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi Lin in the final round, 21-19, 21-16. The duo previously failed to bring home the 2019 All England trophy.(Antara)
Indonesian badminton men’s double’s pair Fajar Alfian and Muhamad Rian Ardianto bounced back from their 2019 All England semifinal loss, using it as motivation to claim victory over Taiwanese pair Lee Yang and Wan Chi Lin in the final of the Swiss Open.
During Sunday’s final, Fajar and Rian withstood the pressure of their Taiwanese opponents in the first game. The two pairs went point for point until the Indonesians, ranked ninth in the world, closed out the first game 21-19.
The second game was an easier affair for the Indonesians, as they controlled the game from the beginning. When Lee faulted on a serve on match point, Fajar let out a scream in celebration, with the Indonesian taking the second game 21-16 and claiming the title.
The victory is the pair’s third title together.
“There were a lot of rallies during the match and we dominated at the net. We were patient enough and our opponents also lobbed the shuttlecock a lot,” Rian said.
“This title will boost our confidence after we lost a tight semifinal at the All England Open. We hope we can continue to improve [our game] in the future,” he added, referring to their loss against All England finalists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia.
Echoing his partner, Fajar said they started the match with a lot of confidence, adding that he thought the Taiwanese pair put up a tough fight, particularly with their powerful stroke play.
“We managed to find our rhythm but once the game became tighter, we couldn’t avoid making unforced errors,” he said.
The pair’s victory meant Indonesia did not leave the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel empty handed after the young mixed doubles pair of Rinov Rivaldy and Phita Haningtyas Mentari were defeated by Mathias Bay-Smith and Rikke Søby of Denmark in the final. After 56 minutes, the young guns bowed down to their Danish counterparts, losing 18-21, 21-12, 16-21.
Fajar and Rian will now head to Hong Kong to represent Indonesia at the 2019 Tong Yun Kai Cup, an Asian mixed team championships. Indonesia will begin the tournament by taking on Thailand and Sri Lanka in Group C. The tournament will be held from March 19 to 24.
Fajar and Rian’s victory also continues Indonesian’s strong form in men’s doubles after veteran duo Hendra Setiawan and Mohamad Ahsan triumphed at the All England Open, despite Hendra battling a calf injury.
Hendra and Ahsan returned to Indonesia on Sunday night and were each awarded a Rp 240 million (US$16,851) cash bonus by the Youth and Sports Ministry for their All England crown.
