China Open 2024: Fikri/Daniel Beat First Seed

Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin won the first seed for the quarter-finals of the China Open 2024 (doc. PBSI).

JAKARTA The men's doubles pair Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin repatriated the first seed, Liang Wei Yenyak/Wang Chang, to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open 2024.

Fikri/Daniel secured the third ticket for Indonesia after being forced to play rubber games 21-19, 18-21, and 21-17 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium on Thursday, September 19, 2024, noon WIB

"We are certainly quite happy with today's victory against the first seed, world number one doubles, and yesterday's Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist," Fikri said after the match.

The achievement was Fikri/Daniel's fourth consecutive quarter-finals since it was overhauled. Previously, they also reached a similar round in Japan, Korea, and the Hong Kong Open 2024.

Fikri said that the success of defeating Liang/Wang at home was a very meaningful victory because it would increase their motivation and confidence.

"Liang/Wang played very well, it was not easy for us to fight them in the first meeting. The class was very high, we were determined to get to that level too," he said.

Fikri/Daniel are recorded to have passed two of the previous three quarter-finals. However, their furthest journey after that was stuck in the semifinals.

This achievement is in contrast to Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana, who is a partner of the Fikri/Bagas duet from the previous composition.

The China Open 2024 is also the fourth tournament that Leo/Bagas has undertaken. From the previous three occasions, they reached the final round once and then came out as champions.

"However, the task has not been completed, we must not be complacent. We must increase our respective portions and of course we must be more compact," said Daniel.

Fikri/Daniel are the third representatives of Indonesia to qualify for the quarter-finals of this Super 1000 BWF tournament. The previous two representatives who had already been in the top eight were Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Dejan Ferdinansyah/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.