Dramatic! Fajar/Rian Qualify For The Second Round Of All England 2023 After Losing In The First Game

Indonesian men's doubles, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto. (Photo: Twitter/@INABadminton)

JAKARTA Indonesian men's doubles, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, stepped into the second round of All England 2023 after overcoming Korean representatives Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-jae. They had to go through a fight for three games to get tickets to the next round.

Playing at Utilita Arena Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Fajar/Rian extended their steps after locking in a dramatic victory of three games 20-22, 21-12, and 21-19.

Fajar/Rian face a tight match in the first game. They had to share the initial four points with the opponent for a strong 2-2 position and then enter the interval behind.

After the break, the world number one pair immediately stole two points to identify the score 11-11. They also detained one opponent's point game, previously admitting their advantage.

A duel that was not easy also occurred at the beginning of the second game. However, Fajar/Rian managed to score four consecutive points to lead 8-3 before winning five points at the break.

After the opponent added two points after the interval, Fajar/Rian immediately got up by scoring seven points in a row. They also only lost four points after that to force the match into the deciding game.

A good start for the South Korean pair in the third game. They produced five points in a row after 2-2 position so they comfortably led 11-6 at rest.

The dominance of the Korean pair continued before Fajar/Rian caught up and equalized the score twice 15-15 and 17-17. The Indonesian representative actually turned things around by winning after being held back twice at match points.

Fajar/Rian are Indonesia's second representatives from the men's doubles number who qualified for the second round. Previously, defending champion Bagas Maulana/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri had reached that stage in yesterday's match.

In the next round, Fajar/Rian will face Chinese Taipei representative Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan. Fajar/Rian currently lead head to head winning 2-0 over their potential opponent.