Revans, Fajar/Fikri Advance to China Masters Semifinals

SHENZHEN, FRIDAY — One of the indicators of an athlete's development is when they can learn from mistakes and losses to perform better on another occasion. This was demonstrated by Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri when facing the world’s top pair from Malaysia, Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izuddin.

Fajar/Fikri lost in a three-game match by a margin of two points when facing Goh/Izuddin in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open Super 750 in July. Two months later, they met again in a tournament of the same level in the same phase, the quarterfinals of the China Masters.

Learning from their defeat in Japan, Fajar/Fikri played better. The match at Shenzhen Arena, Friday (19/9/2025), ended with a different result: Fajar/Fikri won with a score of 21-16, 21-11.

As Fikri stated, he and Fajar studied the game of Goh/Izuddin, who are currently ranked third in the world in men's doubles. Fajar/Fikri played by applying pressure on Goh/Izuddin from the beginning of the match, during every point contested.

Fajar or Fikri's interception in front of the court, who can also rotate positions effectively, has made it difficult for opponents to find opportunities to attack. The target for revenge has been achieved, allowing them to reach the semifinals for the second time in three tournaments. The previous semifinal was also held in China, during the China Open Super 1000 tournament, which resulted in a championship title.

The lesson that led to victory over Goh/Izuddin was not only derived from their meeting at the Japan Open but also from other competitions when Fajar and Fikri partnered with their previous partners. The duo of Fajar/Muhammad Rian Ardianto won eight times against Goh/Izuddin out of 12 encounters, but they always lost in the last three matches. Meanwhile, Fikri has experience, both when partnering with Bagas Maulana and Daniel Marthin.

The experience from the previous matches will also serve as a lesson for the semifinal on Saturday. They will face Seo Seung-jae/Kim Won-ho or Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi. The quarterfinals for both pairs will take place on Friday afternoon.

Fajar/Fikri, who have just completed their third tournament since pairing up at the Japan Open, have never faced Hoki/Kobayashi, but both have experience competing against the 2021 world champions with their previous partners.

When facing Seo/Kim, Fajar/Fikri brings the advantage of victory into the quarter-finals of the China Open. However, just as Fajar/Fikri did against Goh/Izuddin, Seo/Kim will come prepared with lessons learned from their previous encounter.

Another factor to be wary of is the statistic that this South Korean pair became the most consistent men's doubles team in 2025. They secured seven championship titles, including those from the Malaysia Open, All England, and Indonesia Open Super 1000, as well as the World Championship.

Therefore, as Fajar once stated at the badminton training center in Cipayung, Jakarta, they must be more vigilant. Opponents will study the game of the Indonesian front duo after they won the China Open by defeating several top pairs in the world.

Whoever the opponent in the semifinals may be, there is an attitude that must be carried, which is to never give up. "We also have to be able to enjoy the match. The journey since the first round has not been easy, but we have enjoyed every process. Communication with the coach has also been smooth, allowing us to perform well," said Fajar.

Indonesia could place two semifinalists in the men's doubles if Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas win their quarterfinal match on Friday night. They are facing the Malaysian pair, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik. The winner of this match will advance to the semifinals against Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty or Ren Xiang Yu/Xie Haonan.

In the women's singles competition, Putri Kusuma Wardani was unable to perform better and failed to take revenge against Akane Yamaguchi. Putri lost to the world champion with a score of 14-21, 11-21.

The two players met in the semifinals of the World Championship in France, from August 25 to 31, which marked Putri's best performance in their fourth encounter with Yamaguchi. Putri lost but was able to put up a fight in three games, with scores of 17-21, 21-14, 6-21.

However, instead of being able to perform better or win against Yamaguchi for the first time in five meetings, Putri struggled to cope with the pressure. "In fact, from the beginning of the game until the interval, I was able to control the game, but after that, Yamaguchi continued to dominate. She made many speculative shots and unexpected strikes that made it difficult for me to read the direction of her shots," said Putri, who was making her debut at the China Masters.

The match served as an evaluation for the eighth-ranked player in the world as they prepare for the Korea Open Super 500, scheduled for September 23-28. "I need to enhance my focus and consistency in my game. I also need to be quicker in recognizing changes in my opponent's patterns during the match," he stated.

Other players who were eliminated earlier, such as Rian/Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan, Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu, Alwi Farhan, and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, are also preparing to participate in the Korea Open. They were eliminated in the first or second round at the China Masters.