All England: Young Guns Upstage Minions
“We had to be brave,” said Muhammad Shohibul Fikri after he and Bagas Maulana overcame seniors and two-time champions Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in the semifinals of the YONEX All England.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Brave they were, for the young Indonesians had to survive an inspired spell from the Minions mid-match. Sukamuljo was nearly unstoppable in the second game, getting his racket on nearly everything, and the challengers had to keep their composure with the Minions sensing blood.
“We thought it was over in the second game the way they were playing, but we managed to overcome that phase,” said Maulana, whose heavy hits from the back complemented his partner’s creative work at the front.
“We are shocked that we are in the final and so happy.”