Indonesia Open: Late Twist Dents Malaysia’s Day
Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani crashed Malaysia’s party at the KAPAL API Indonesia Open 2025, denting what had been a near-perfect quarterfinals day for the visitors.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The home pair tripped world No.1 duo Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin at the death, leaving the Malaysians with three instead of four pairs in the semifinals across three categories.
Of these, Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun’s semifinal entry was particularly impressive, as the upcoming Malaysians executed a tactically astute game against 2023 champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty to beat them for the first time in five matches.
In difficult conditions, the Malaysia Masters champions confined the engagement to flat exchanges and were composed even when the Indians drew close. In a match of push and parry and few phases of open play, Man and Tee’s sharpness was rewarded with their fourth semifinal of the season.