Malaysia Open 2026: Jonatan Gets Semi-Final Ticket

JAKARTA - Men's singles badminton player Jonatan Christie maintained a sweet record of not losing a set at the 2026 Malaysia Open to continue his journey to the semifinals.

Jonatan, who is the fourth seed in this tournament, kept his hopes alive after winning two games over eighth seed Kodai Naraoka 21-17 and 21-13 on Friday, January 9, 2026.

"First, praise God for being able to show good play, be able to implement the right strategy and be able to qualify again for the Super 1000 semifinals," said Jonatan in a statement.

Jonatan made a sweet journey so far after previously winning two straight games over Lee Chia Hao (China Taipei) in the first round and the host's representative Leong Jun Hao in the second round.

The 2018 Asian Games gold medallist was the first Indonesian representative to reach the semifinals. He treated the failure of Putri Kusuma Wardani and Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari.

In the semifinals, Saturday, January 10, 2026, Jonatan will face the winner of the duel between Alex Lanier and Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Alex is the seventh seed, while Kunlavut is the second seed.

"Tomorrow, meet between Kunlavut or Alex Lanier, both are good players. You have to be more vigilant with his strategy, what needs to be done, what needs to be implemented tomorrow, more in that direction," said Jonatan.