Debut Moment in the Sudirman Cup Opening Match

XIAMEN, SUNDAY — The track record of English players and the necessity to compete against India in the upcoming challenge prompted the Indonesian badminton team to field more new players in their first match at the Sudirman Cup. They seized the opportunity to gain experience and contribute to the team's victories.

Indonesia's initial appearance in the Group D qualifying round of the mixed team championship at Fenghuang Gymnasium, Xiamen, China, on Sunday (27/4/2025), resulted in a 5-0 victory. At the same time and in the same group, Denmark lost one match against India. With this result, Indonesia occupies the top position in Group D due to a superior match win difference (10-0) compared to Denmark (9-1).

Three victories for Indonesia, out of the five events that had to be contested in the preliminary phase, were achieved by players who are participating in the Sudirman Cup team for the first time. They are Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi, Mohammad Zaki Ubadillah, and Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo in the second to fourth matches. Meanwhile, victories in the opening and final matches were secured by Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari.

Zaki, who is still a single status world number one in the junior category, felt a different atmosphere when facing Nadeem Dalvi. He compared it to the experience of competing in individual tournaments, as well as in junior team championships.

In 2024, the 17-year-old athlete became part of the Indonesian junior team that reached the semifinals of the Asian Team Championship and emerged as the champion at the World Team Championship for U-19 athletes (under 19 years of age). In individual competition, Zaki became a semifinalist at the World Championship.

"The atmosphere is truly different. The athletes playing here are top players, and their desire to win is certainly greater. I could only enjoy the match after surpassing 11 points in the first game," said Zaki after defeating Nadeem with a score of 21-10, 21-14.

Zaki stated that the coach had informed him about playing against England two days before the match. However, the confirmation was only communicated on Saturday night.

To determine the athletes who will compete in the team championship, many factors are taken into consideration, such as meeting statistics with potential opponents and playing styles to defeat them. However, one thing that ultimately proves to be the most decisive is the physical and mental readiness of the athletes before their names are included in the list of those who will compete.

"I did not expect to be selected for the Sudirman Cup team, and then, I was immediately given the opportunity to play. It feels nerve-wracking because there is a responsibility to contribute points. I am also learning to be calmer," said Zaki.

In addition to the athletes' readiness, there is another factor in selecting the athletes to compete against England, namely the need to prepare for the next two matches, which are more challenging. Indonesia will face India on Tuesday, followed by a match against Denmark two days later.

Compared to the other three groups, which also consist of four teams, the competition in Group D could be more intense. Indonesia, Denmark, and India possess comparable strengths, while only the top two ranked teams are entitled to advance to the quarter-finals.

Based on this situation, Indonesia did not field all the main players from each category. Zaki, for instance, is ranked as the third men's singles player in the team after Jonatan Christie and Alwi Farhan. Ester, who is also making her debut in the Sudirman Cup, is positioned below Putri Kusuma Wardani.

With the need to field more experienced athletes in the next two challenges, such as Jonatan and Putri, the singles players deployed against England were Zaki and Ester. This also provides them with the opportunity to gain competitive experience in the world team championship.

"I played after my teammates won and Indonesia was leading 3-0. I also wanted to win, so there was a bit of pressure and tension, but I was able to handle it. Thank God I could contribute to the score," said Ester.

Febriana/Amalia also played their first match in the Sudirman Cup, despite currently holding the status of Indonesia's number one women's doubles. In previous championships, they have consistently lost in competition against Apriyani Rahayu, Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, and Lanny Tria Mayasari.

Therefore, the match against England is important for Febriana/Amalia as a warm-up if needed to play again. Moreover, there are only two women's doubles pairs representing Indonesia, namely Febriana/Amalia and Fadia/Lanny. Fadia could even be played in the mixed doubles category as she is paired with Dejan Ferdinansyah in the BWF World Tour tournament in 2025.

"The atmosphere of a team tournament is very different from an individual tournament. You have to be mentally prepared if you are trusted to play," said Febriana.

Meanwhile, Fajar/Rian and Rinov/Pitha noted their own achievements despite contributing to victories and having experience playing in the Sudirman Cup in 2021 and 2023. Rinov/Pitha, in fact, nearly lost against Callum Hemming/Estelle Van Leeweun when they were trailing 15-19 in the third game. Gradually, Rinov/Pitha added six consecutive points to win 21-15, 15-21, 21-19.

Pitha explained that he is struggling to break free from the pressure of his opponent. He has not yet been able to fully adapt to the slow-paced shuttlecock used in the match.

"In the third game, I just thought, as long as the opponent hasn't reached 21 points, there is still a chance. Nothing is impossible," he said.

Compared to their peers, Hemming/Van Leeweun has become the most experienced player in competing in the BWF World Tour tournaments, although they have yet to win a title. Their best result as the 28th-ranked mixed doubles team in the world was reaching the quarter-finals of the Hylo Open Super 300 in 2023. In 2025, they reached the second round of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 and became quarter-finalists at the European Championships.

In the mixed doubles match, England could potentially become a stumbling block for Indonesia, Denmark, or India in the race for a quarter-final ticket. One of those four European teams could steal a game, as seen in their match against Indonesia, or in a match that could influence the statistics in the group standings.

Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto - Rory Easton/Alex Green 21-11, 21-11

Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi vs Abbygael Harris/Lizzie Tolman 21-8, 21-13

Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah - Nadeem Dalvi 21-10, 21-14

Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo - Freya Redfearn 12-21, 10-21

Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari - Callum Hemming/Estelle Van Leeuwen 21-15, 15-21, 21-19

Group A

China – Algeria 5-0

Thailand – Hong Kong 5-0

Group B

South Korea – Czech Republic 4-1

Taiwan – Canada 4-1

Group D

Indonesia – England 5-0

Denmark – India 4-1