Jafar/Felisha "Escape from the Eye of the Needle"

CHANGZHOU, WEDNESDAY – Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu gained knowledge and experience when facing top world badminton players. The dramatic victory in the first round of the China Open tournament not only serves as a lesson for the subsequent rounds but also for their journey ahead.

The young couple, currently ranked as the number one mixed doubles team in Indonesia, won the first round of the China Open thanks to their success in overcoming critical moments. Jafar/Felisha defeated the sixth-ranked Malaysian pair, Goh Soon Huat/Lai Shevon Jemie, with a score of 18-21, 24-22, 21-15, at the Changzhou Olympics Sports Centre, Wednesday (23/7/2025).

The victory came after Jafar/Felisha thwarted their opponents on four match points in the second game. Goh/Lai nearly avenged their loss in their previous meeting, in the quarterfinals of the Asian Championships, when they won 20-17 to 20-19, then 22-21.

By trying to play more recklessly while maintaining focus, Jafar/Felisha made the match last until the third game, capitalizing on the second game point at 23-22. The 22-year-old and 19-year-old Indonesian pair finally "escaped the needle" by winning the third game after trailing 7-10.

"When we were behind, we just went for it. Playing it safe was the same; losing a point meant losing," Jafar said, recounting a moment when he faced a match point against his opponent.

Jafar/Felisha nearly lost both games due to repeated errors on easy shots. One of the unforced errors after the second game interval was a flick on Felisha's service that sent the shuttlecock out of the doubles service line.

Felisha also squandered an opportunity when the shuttlecock sailed close to the net. Instead of easily securing a point with a "sloppy shot," Felisha instead sent the shuttlecock over the net. On another occasion, Jafar made a similar error with a backhand shot close to the net.

As Jafar stated, this serves as a lesson for him and Felisha to face the next challenge, which is to compete against the Danish players, Mads Vestergaard/Christine Busch. "We need to be more prepared, more focused, and reduce the numerous mistakes we still make," said Jafar.

Not only to advance to the second round, which will take place on Thursday, Jafar/Felisha must reduce unforced errors to face other challenges. When competing in a high-level tournament, such as the China Open in the Super 1000 category, and facing top players, even the smallest mistake can result in a major loss.

Moreover, top mixed doubles players from the world, such as those from China, Thailand, and Malaysia, are athletes with good and consistent striking quality. Jafar/Felisha cannot expect to earn free points from their opponents' mistakes.

In addition to the pair ranked 14th in the world, the Indonesian mixed doubles team that advanced to the second round is Amri Syahnawi/Nita Violina Marwah. They defeated one of the home favorites, Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi, with scores of 21-18, 17-21, 21-19.

Like a last-gasp overtake, Amri/Nita won the match with a late lead. They only took the lead at 19-18 after trailing consistently in the third game. Chen/Zhang thwarted the first match point, 20-18, but Amri/Nita won the next point. The world's 20th-ranked pair let out a scream after winning their 21st point.

"Although we are behind, as long as it is not over, we will continue to do our best. When we were able to get closer, Cheng Xing appeared somewhat tense and emotional, which made us more confident," said Amri, who will face South Korean players, Wang Chan/Jeong Na-eun, in the second round.

The day before, victory in the first round was achieved by Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja. The pair, who train at PB Djarum, will challenge the eighth seeds from Japan, Hidori Midorikawa/Natsu Saito.

The early phase of Anthony Sinisuka Ginting's "comeback" to the tournament ended once again with a defeat in the first round. Anthony was eliminated in the first round of the China Open after losing in the same stage at the Japan Open the previous week. In China, Anthony lost to Canadian player Brian Yang, with scores of 21-9, 16-21, 14-21.

"From the two tournaments, the positive takeaway is that I was able to re-experience the atmosphere of the match, the pressure, and the tension on the court. It's not just about myself, but also external factors like how to quickly respond to my opponent's strategy, adapt quickly, and also the different court and shuttlecock factors that I didn't experience in practice. Overall, I rate my performance at 60-70%," said Anthony.

The China Open, which was won by Anthony in 2018, became the second tournament after the Japan Open in his "comeback." Prior to these two tournaments, Anthony only participated in the Malaysia Open in January, after which he withdrew from competition due to a right shoulder injury.

He missed various major events, such as the All England, Sudirman Cup, and Indonesia Open, but is scheduled to compete in the World Championship in Paris, France, from August 25 to 31. To that end, Anthony is striving to regain the competitive atmosphere that he has not experienced for six months.

The target of participation in Japan and China is not to reach a certain stage, but rather to regain various factors necessary for competition. "In addition to regaining the match atmosphere, I am trying to rebuild the playing pattern," he said.

A similar goal is set by women's singles player, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, who has been absent from competitions for about three months due to experiencing vertigo. After losing in the first round of the Japan Open, Gregoria has the opportunity to compete in more than one round in China. She will face Lin Hsiang Ti in the second round.

The elimination of Anthony leaves Indonesia's men's singles with only Jonatan Christie, who will face Christo Popov. In the first round, the fourth seed won against Jason Teh Jia Heng with a score of 21-17, 21-12.

In the men's doubles competition, Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana completed the victory of their teammates, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Mohammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, from the previous day. Leo/Bagas, who won against Takumi Nomura/Yuichi Shimogami with a score of 21-17, 21-17, will face former world number one pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (India), in the next round.

The victory of Nomura/Shimogami marks the first for Leo/Bagas in the last three months. Prior to their appearance at the China Open, they had consistently lost in the first round at the Singapore Open, Indonesia Open, and Japan Open.

"We tried to play without pressure today. We were more determined and more confident to end the streak of losing in the first round. This could be a capital to face the Indian pair, but we must be able to play more calmly," said Bagas.