Being Mathias/Alexandra's Third Victim At The Indonesia Open, Hafiz/Gloria Admits They Played Less Patiently

Hafiz/Gloria (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Mixed doubles Hafiz Faizal/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja became the third pair for the Red and White squad that was defeated by Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Boje in the Indonesia Open tournament in Bali, Friday.

In the meeting that took place in the quarter-finals, Hafiz/Gloria fought hard against the Danish mixed doubles but finally gave up in a rubber game 21-14, 11-21, 18-21.

"Our game is impatient in dealing with them, can't stand it and wants to rush to reverse the attack. The defense is also immature, and because of being in a hurry, it will die by itself," said Gloria, as reported by Antara.

Hafiz/Gloria managed to create an advantage in the first game with a convincing game, but in the second game Mathias/Alexandra turned to take the initiative to attack more patiently.

In the third game, the sixth seed pair was also 0-4 behind but was able to catch up and take the lead over Mathias/Alexandra.

The mixed doubles took the lead after taking advantage of Hafiz and Gloria's returns, who picked up the ball a lot, so they responded with smashes and dropshots. Even so, Gloria who appeared in front of the net also showed a stunning game.

Since the beginning of the match, Gloria has created at least six points through a dropshot that is released from the front of the net and is difficult for Mathias/Alexandra to return.

"This is the first time I've met them, but actually I have found the key to the game. But because I can't stand it, I can't even control the balls. It's more about being patient and maintaining consistency," said Gloria, who then wept over her defeat.

In addition to the patience factor, the energy aspect is also in the spotlight of Hafiz, who in the 64-minute match launched a lot of sms from the end of the field.

His action clearly drains energy and makes him weak if he is forced to parry the ball that escapes Gloria's reach. Therefore, in the future he wants to improve his strength so that he can be more resistant in long-lasting games.

"Today we should indeed be stronger than usual. At the beginning of the third game we were left behind, but we were able to catch up because of communication and playing continuously," explained Hafiz.

In this BWF Super 1000 tournament, Mathias/Alexandra's path to the semifinals was obtained by eliminating representatives from Indonesia.

In the first round they beat Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari, then kicked out Praveen Jordan/Melati Daeva Oktavianti in the second round, and finally Hafiz/Gloria in today's quarter-finals.