JAKARTA: The national men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun advanced to the final of the 2024 Indonesia Open after defeating home favourites Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani last night.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun, unseeded in the tournament, silenced the home crowd in a thrilling match at the Istora Senayan Stadium, beating the 29th-ranked Indonesian duo 29-27 in a breathtaking first set.
The pair who were trailing early, made a stunning comeback to defeat the Indonesian pair in the second set, winning 21-13 in a match that lasted 45 minutes to dash Indonesia’s hopes of watching at least one representative in the final tomorrow.
The win ensured that Malaysia had one representation in the final of the prestigioud Indonesia Open.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun had also pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the Indonesia Open when they toppled South Korea’s world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae in the first round.
They will face China’s Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang in Sunday’s final, after Liang-Wang secured their spot by beating Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-13, 21-15 in another lop-sided semifinal.
When commenting about the match Wei Chong said the home fans had given them some tense moments but he and his partner managed to keep their focus intact and maintained their momentum throughout the match, especially so in the second set.
“We felt very nervous in the first set due to the hostile fans who were rooting for their players to win but after having taken the first set we were more calm in the second set. Tomorrow will be another tough day because we have a big game. So, we are going to get ready,“ he told reporters after the match.
