Indonesian Athletes Failed More at the Denmark Open

ODENSE, WEDNESDAY — The Denmark Open has just completed one round, but more Indonesian athletes have been eliminated. Eight out of 15 representatives came to Odense, Denmark, only to compete in the first round.

Six out of eight representatives were eliminated in the first round held at the JYSKE Bank Arena on Wednesday (15/10/2025). Only three emerged victorious in the early rounds on the second day of the tournament, from Wednesday afternoon until early Thursday morning Indonesian time. They are Jonatan Christie, Muhammad Rian Ardianto/Rahmat Hidayat, and Adnan Maulana/Indah Cahya Sari Jamil.

Meanwhile, defeats were experienced by Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu, Amri Syahnawi/Nita Violina Marwah, Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana, Rachel Alessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum, and Lanny Tria Mayasari/Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi in the doubles sector. In the singles category, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting lost to the home player and defending champion, Anders Antonsen, with a score of 7-21, 19-21.

The series of defeats added to the list of Indonesian athletes who were eliminated in the first round that took place on Tuesday, namely Alwi Farhan and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.

Thus, except for the men's doubles which still has three representatives, the other four sectors are left with only one representative each. Jonatan, who defeated Kenta Nishimoto 10-21, 21-11, 21-7, will face another Japanese player, Kodai Naraoka, in the second round on Thursday.

Putri Kusuma Wardani became the mainstay in the women's singles after her senior lost. The women's doubles and mixed doubles events are represented by Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari and Adnan/Indah. Meanwhile, the men's doubles features Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, and Rian/Rahmat.

For most athletes, the defeat in Denmark marked a series of losses in the early rounds. Anthony, for instance, has never advanced past the second round in eight tournaments, seven of which took place since July when he returned to competition after recovering from a right shoulder injury.

When facing top players in the world, as a measure of his ability, Anthony can only put up a fight in one or two games, but has yet to secure a victory, as experienced against Antonsen.

"In the first game, I struggled to find a good playing pattern, while Antonsen played very aggressively. In the second game, Koh Indra (Widjaja, the men's singles coach) reminded me not to hesitate to play in any style. From there, I played without pressure, but after taking the lead, I fell back into Antonsen's game," said Anthony.

The athlete, who is currently ranked 71st in the world, also stated that he is still struggling to avoid being drawn into the opponent's playing pattern. "As in the first game and the end of the second game earlier, when I was lured into the opponent's strategy, I have not yet been able to find the right strategy to turn it around," said Anthony.

After Anthony and Alwi lost, the hopes of Indonesia's men's singles were saved by Jonatan, although he played three games against Nishimoto. Jonatan struggled to control the game in the first game as he felt the strong wind. It was only in the next two games that he was able to play better, especially as Nishimoto's physical condition appeared to decline.

"Kodai, the next opponent, is much tougher. I have to be prepared to work harder and be brave in exchanging blows. In addition, I hope my physical condition can recover optimally because the second round will not take place this late," said Jonatan, who played on Wednesday midnight local time.

In addition to Jonatan, only Rian/Rahmat and Adnan/Indah won in the matches on Wednesday. Adnan/Indah defeated the Indian pair, Mohit Jaglan/Lakshita Jaglan, to face the South Korean players, Lee Jong-min/Chae Yu-jung. Chae is a senior player who became the mixed doubles world champion in 2023 alongside Seo Seung-jae.

Meanwhile, Rian/Rahmat made a surprise in their debut as a pair by eliminating the second seeds from Malaysia, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik. Rian/Rahmat won 21-17, 21-13 and will face Takumo Nomura/Yuichi Shimogami, who defeated Leo/Bagas.

In the women's doubles category, the Indonesian players were unable to match the seeded pair. Rachel/Febi lost with a score of 13-21, 17-21 to the second seeds, Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan. In another match, Lanny/Amalia were defeated by Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi (4) with scores of 19-21, 10-21.

"The back ball of Tan/Thinaah is quite challenging, their power is significant and their variations are numerous. The service returns are also difficult to predict. Reflecting on this result, we still need to continue to work extra hard in improving our rotation, increasing our power, and varying our shots," commented Rachel.

The remaining women's doubles pair, Amalia/Trias, will face a similar challenge in the second round on Thursday. Their capability as one of the new formations of the national training center's women's doubles will be tested against Lee So-hee/Baek Ha-na (6).