Hong Kong Open: Decades-Old Droughts Smashed
Five shuttlers will be talked about for a long time in the Hong Kong Open storytelling for ending their countries’ title-less spell in September 2023.
· PREM KUMAR
On finals day at the Hong Kong Coliseum today, Indonesians Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti set things in motion, with the come-from-behind 14-21 24-22 21-9 victory over Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan making them the first women’s doubles champions from Indonesia in the competition’s 41-year history.
The world No.8s saved one match point at 20-19 in the second game before stepping it up a notch in the third, quickly moving to 7-0 then 11-2 ahead at interval, to haul themselves back into the winners circle more than a year after acing the Singapore Open in July last year.
“We are relieved to have come through such a difficult contest,” said Rahayu. “We managed to keep our composure towards the end of the second game, and in the decider, once we opened up a healthy lead, we were able to relax and play with more confidence.”