Bagas/Fikri Men's Doubles Target To Advance To Semifinals At Thailand Open 2023

Illustration of Badminton (photo: Doc. Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Indonesian men's doubles said that their target at the Thailand Open 2023 tournament was to reach the semifinals.

This was stated by Bagas Maulana-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri who was competing in the sporting event.

"Our target is to stay in the semifinals here, but still step by step. We want good results first in this match and then think about points to the Olympics," Bagas said, quoting Antara, Thursday, June 1.

As a first step, the 2022 All England champions have completed their first obstacle by defeating Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Yan Ming Tse from Taiwan.

Bagas/Fikri were quite troubled against Chiu/Yang, and were forced to undergo a rubber game with a final score of 21-12, 15-21, 21-18.

In the first game, the Indonesian duo benefited from the condition of the opponent who was not too ready when starting the match. Finally Bagas/Fikri can put pressure on it quickly thanks to a more prepared strategy.

"In the first game we felt the opponent was hot late while when we entered the field we were ready," Fikri said.

However, in the second game Bagas/Fikri often made their own mistakes. Chiu/Yang used this to control the control of the game through tight attacks.

Fikri considered that the opponent was better prepared in the second game, so that in the end he could win the game. Meanwhile, Bagas/Fikri were in an unfavorable position, so they couldn't play comfortably.

"The opponent played more aggressively than the first game, we were also surprised, especially since the field won and the wind lost quite a bit. The wind conditions were also different during yesterday's field tests," said Fikri.

Chiu/Yang kembali bermain agresif pada gim ketiga. Namun Bagas/Fikri berupaya bangkit hingga akhirnya bermain lebih konsisten tanpa banyak menciptakan eror.

"In the third game when our interval was left behind, after that we tried to minimize mistakes. We are more sure of our blow, don't hesitate, let alone the points are tight," said Bagas.