One Victory Means a Lot for Leo/Bagas

SAARBRUCKEN, TUESDAY — Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana and two other Indonesian men's doubles pairs won the first round of the Hylo Open badminton tournament in Saarbrucken, Germany. Although only one round has been completed, this victory could have a positive impact for Leo/Bagas.

The Indonesian men's doubles team, ranked 15th in the world, won against the Malaysian pair, Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi, with a score of 21-16, 21-17 in a match held at Saarlandhalle, Saarbrücken, on Tuesday (28/10/2025) evening. Another Malaysian pair, ranked third, Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun, will be the opponent in the second round.

In the match that took place early Wednesday morning Indonesian time, victory was achieved by another Indonesian men's doubles pair. Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Mohammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani won against Eloi Adam/Leo Rossi (France) with a score of 22-20, 21-13. Meanwhile, Muhammad Rian Ardianto/Rahmat Hidayat triumphed over Rasmus Espersen/Andreas Soendergaard with scores of 17-21, 21-14, 21-14, and they will face the eighth seeds, Lee Jhe Huei/Yang Po Hsuan, in the second round.

For Rian/Rahmat, the Hylo Open, which is classified as Super 500, marks their third tournament as a pair. They made their debut at the Denmark Open from October 14 to 19, reaching the quarter-finals, and then competed at the France Open where they were defeated in the second round. Both of these tournaments are of a higher level compared to the Hylo Open, which is Super 750.

Although they won two games, Leo/Bagas did not find it easy to secure their victory. Moreover, Ong/Teo are an experienced pair who have been competing together in BWF tournaments since 2016. Their best achievement was reaching the semifinals of the 2021 World Championship in Spain.

The victory is very significant for Leo/Bagas even though they have experienced better results, such as reaching the final of the All England 2025. This is because Leo/Bagas have consistently been eliminated in the first round, namely at the Korea Open, held from September 23-28, followed by the Denmark and France Opens, which took place in two consecutive weeks before the Hylo Open. In the Korea Open tournament, Leo/Bagas held the status of defending champions.

In Denmark and France, they always lost two games. In those two matches, Leo/Bagas often appeared confused in breaking through the opponent's defense. Their gameplay was not cohesive, both in attacking and defending.

As the longest-standing pair (since August 2024) among other pairs in the main national training center for men's doubles, their partnership is expected to last in the long term. However, after reaching the finals of the All England and the semifinals of the Asian Championships, the performance of Leo/Bagas has declined. They have been eliminated in the first or second round in eight out of nine tournaments.

"There is certainly pressure from the match earlier due to the unsatisfactory results in two consecutive tournaments where we were eliminated in the first round. However, we know that we can get through this better. We continue to seek ways to play well, not only during practice but also in matches," said Leo.

After winning one round, the performance of Leo/Bagas will be tested against Man/Tee. In their two previous encounters, they shared victories in matches that each lasted three games.

In addition to Leo/Bagas, Sabar/Reza, and Rian/Rahmat, Indonesia still has another men's doubles pair competing in the Hylo Open, namely Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri. The pair, seeded fifth, will face Nur Mohd Azryn Ayub/Tan Wee Kiong (Malaysia) on Wednesday.

The challenge for Fajar/Fikri is competing in a physically drained condition after reaching the finals of the Denmark and France Opens. Not only physical condition, but competing at a high intensity for three consecutive weeks and consistently reaching the finals can also affect their focus.

The men's doubles coach of the national training center, Antonius Budi Ariantho, believes that Fajar/Fikri still have homework to improve their speed and strength, as well as to maintain it for long and intense matches. The ability to sustain speed and strength is a key factor in men's doubles games, which occur at a fast pace. "Moreover, the tournaments are held consecutively with only a short break," said Anton.

In addition to the four men's doubles pairs, Indonesia is represented by other players except from the women's doubles sector. Those who will begin their appearances on Wednesday include Putri Kusuma Wardani, Jonatan Christie, and Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu.