Australian Open: Indonesia in Three Finals
Indonesian players put the disappointing results at the recent Asian tournaments behind them to qualify for three title matches at the Super 500 SATHIO GROUP Australian Open 2024.
· PREM KUMAR
Women’s singles starlet Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo led a quartet of shuttlers into Sunday’s showpiece, getting the ball rolling outfighting third seed Pai Yu Po 22-20 23-21 in a 41-minute battle. The final against Japanese Aya Ohori, the No.2 seed, will be the 18-year-old’s first on the HSBC BWF World Tour.
Shortly after, crowd favourites Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan held off the challenge of young Chinese Taipei pair Chen Zhi Ray/Lin Yu Chieh 21-14 17-21 21-11 to make their first title bout in over a year. The three-time world champions have not featured in one since losing to compatriots Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto at All England 2023.
“We are grateful we were able to win a semifinal after a while,” said Ahsan. “They are a good upcoming pair and have strong smashes. It wasn’t an easy match, especially in the second game where I made too many mistakes. Thankfully we kept at it and got the job done.”