Indonesia Wins Group, Must Maintain Momentum in Sudirman Cup Quarterfinals

XIAMEN, THURSDAY — Undefeated in the group stage, Indonesia emerged as the champion of Group D in the mixed team badminton championship of the Sudirman Cup. This result, along with the fighting spirit demonstrated by the young players, serves as a foundation for the Red and White team to face the quarter-finals.

The group champion position was secured after Indonesia defeated Denmark with a score of 4-1 at the Fenghuang Gymnasium, Xiamen, China, on Thursday (1/5/2025). This victory added to the wins against India (4-1) and England (5-0), allowing Indonesia to claim the top position with three points, followed by Denmark with two points, resulting from two wins.

The Chairman of the Development and Achievement Division of PP PBSI, Eng Hian, expressed gratitude for the group champion results achieved by Indonesia. "This is the result of mutual cooperation, the proper arrangement of players, and the readiness of players from each sector to secure points," said Eng Hian.

The group champion status was achieved in the competition of the toughest group among the four groups, each consisting of four teams. In Group D, there are three teams with balanced strengths, namely Indonesia, Denmark, and India, whereas only the top two teams are entitled to advance to the quarter-finals.

After this, the cooperation and abilities of the players will be tested in matches with higher intensity as the competition will proceed in a knockout system. The quarter-finals will take place on Friday (2/5/2025) between the champions and the runners-up from different groups after they compete in a round-robin format across four groups.

The determination of the teams that will meet in the quarter-final phase was conducted through a draw held after all the qualifying matches concluded on Thursday night. Based on the final results of the top two rankings from each group, the teams that could potentially face Indonesia are Thailand (second place in Group A), Taiwan (Group B), or Malaysia (Group C). Meanwhile, the champions of the three groups are China (Group A), South Korea (Group B), and Japan (Group C).

Indonesia and Denmark competed after securing their places in the quarter-finals two days earlier. Nevertheless, the intensity of the rivalry in the 16th meeting between the two teams in the Sudirman Cup remained high.

Denmark deployed its full strength as it did when facing India on the first day of the championship, April 27, and won 4-1. The number one athlete from Denmark competed in four events, including three representatives ranked in the top ten in the world: men's singles world ranking number three, Anders Antonsen, Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (men's doubles/1), and Jesper Toft/Amelie Magelund (mixed doubles/7).

Meanwhile, the selection of Indonesian players is based on their readiness and final condition on Wednesday night, which is the deadline for registering the line up (athlete lineup) that will compete.

In the men's singles, for instance, Indonesia's top player, Jonatan Christie, was not fielded. His role was taken over by Alwi Farhan, who made his debut in the Sudirman Cup. As stated by men's singles coach Indra Widjaja, Jonatan's condition was not fit after playing three games for one hour and 13 minutes against Prannoy H.S. (India).

The mixed doubles team paired Rinov Rivaldy and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja instead of opting for the permanent pair, Rinov/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari or Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Gloria, who had faced Toft/Magelund twice at the tournament in Europe in March. Mixed doubles coach Rionny Mainaky mentioned several considerations, such as Rinov and Gloria's experience in team championships, the condition of the court and shuttlecock, as well as the playing style that suits the Danish pair.

However, Rinov/Gloria's efforts were not enough to make Indonesia superior in the opening match. They lost with a score of 20-22, 23-21, 16-21.

The match was marked by a controversial moment when Rinov/Gloria trailed 20-21 in the first game. A shuttlecock from Toft's cross smash fell outside the sidelines of the doubles court. Toft displayed an expression of regret upon seeing the direction in which the shuttlecock fell. However, when both pairs were about to continue the match, after the court was dried from sweat droplets, the score surprisingly showed 22-20 in favor of Toft/Magelund.

Inevitably, Rinov, Gloria, then Rionny and Vita Marissa as the coach who accompanied them, protested the referee. The tournament referee was called, but the referee's decision was not changed.

The emotions felt by Gloria turned into tears, although she hurriedly wiped her eyes after moving to the other side of the field. Rinov attempted to comfort his senior.

Regardless of that moment and the success of Rinov/Gloria in extending the match to three games, after trailing 13-18 in the second game, the Indonesian pair who played together at the 2023 Sudirman Cup could not capitalize on the opportunities in the opening game. After leading 17-10, the score became tied at 17-17 as Rinov/Gloria struggled to anticipate the opponent's initial shots (serves and service returns). From the serve to the third shot, Toft/Magelund was able to quickly add points.

After losing the first match, Indonesia turned the tide by winning four consecutive matches, similar to when they defeated India. Two victories were achieved by the young players, Alwi Farhan and Putri Kusuma Wardani.

Appreciation is due to Alwi, who won his debut in the Sudirman Cup. He notably defeated Antonsen, a finalist in the 2019 World Championship, holder of eight BWF World Tour titles, and with experience playing in the Sudirman Cup since 2017.

Alwi does not want to be distracted by Antonsen's series of achievements. From the moment he entered the court, the 19-year-old player demonstrated his determination to win. This spirit was shown through Alwi's efforts to chase the shuttlecock, no matter where it was directed by Antonsen.

Alwi's physical condition was drained because playing against top players in the world is not easy to score every point. He had to be resilient in defense and patient in waiting for the moment to earn points.

Alwi demonstrated his unwavering intensity in every point contested. He endured for one hour and 18 minutes (the longest match between Indonesia and Denmark) and won with a score of 21-17, 15-21, 21-17.

"I am younger than my opponent, but I have a strong determination to win. I also try to play more boldly. Indeed, there is pressure when entering the field because Indonesia is lagging behind, but I am motivated because Kak Gloria and Bang Rinov have shown extraordinary efforts. This is the mentality we want to display from the Indonesian Team," said Alwi, accompanied by Indra and Jonatan during the match.

Two days earlier, Putri achieved an important victory against the experienced player, Pusarla V Sindhu (India). This momentum was maintained when she faced Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt (Denmark), resulting in a decisive win for Putri with a score of 21-6, 21-5.

"I must continue to maintain my mental state and thoughts. My feelings must also always be positive so that I can enjoy every moment here," said Putri.

The victory in the fourth match, through Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin, determined Indonesia's win over Denmark, while also securing the "Merah Putih" status as the champion of Group D. Fikri/Daniel defeated Astrup/Rasmussen 21-16, 21-18, building on their victory in the first round of the All England.

In the match, Daniel endured discomfort in his left knee since the middle of the second game. When landing on his left foot after a smash, he limped, even though his knee was wrapped during the intervals of the game.

Fikri also made efforts to close the space that Daniel found difficult to navigate quickly. Supported by good communication, they won the match in two sets.

"I do not want to think too much about the condition of my knee. I am just focused on finishing the match and giving my best to win. After this, I will focus on recovery and undergo a detailed examination. I hope there are no serious injuries," said Daniel.

Indonesia's victory was complemented by the women's doubles team, Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi, who triumphed over Alexandra Boeje/Natasja P Anthonisen with a score of 21-15, 21-15. This marked the second appearance for Febriana/Amalia after competing against England and being rested during the match against India.

In a simultaneous match in Group C, Malaysia's nearly secured group champion position slipped away. In the match against Japan, Malaysia won the first two matches in the mixed doubles and men's singles categories. However, Japan turned the tables by winning the women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles.

The Japanese men's doubles pair, Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, thwarted match points of Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik in the second and third games. In the competition between the senior pairs, Hoki/Kobayashi won with scores of 12-21, 22-20, 23-21.

Rinov Rivaldy/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja – Jesper Toft/Amelie Magelund 20-22, 23-21, 16-21

Alwi Farhan – Anders Antonsen 21-17, 15-21, 21-17

Putri Kusuma Wardani – Line Hoejmark Kjaersfeldt 21-6, 21-5

Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin – Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-16, 21-18

Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi – Alexandra Boeje/ Natasja P Anthonisen 21-15, 21-16

Group A: China, Thailand

Group B: South Korea, Taiwan

Group C: Japan, Malaysia

Group D: Indonesia, Denmark