Gregoria Mariska Didn't Expect To Qualify For The 2024 Kumamoto Masters Final

Indonesian women's singles Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (photo: dock. between)

Jakarta Indonesian women's singles, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, managed to advance to the final round of the 2024 Kumamoto Masters after defeating the badminton player from South Korea, Sim Yu Jin. This match took place three games Saturday 16 November at Kumamoto Predictural Gymnasium with a score of 18-21, 21-17, and 21-19.

Gregoria had difficulty in the first game, where she lost 18-21. However, he got up in the second game, dominated the game and equalized with a score of 21-17. In the third game, the match was tenser. Despite feeling tired and his hitting accuracy began to decline, Gregoria was still able to overcome the pressure from Sim Yu Jin and closed the match with a narrow 21-19 victory.

"Praise God, God is still good to me, still giving peace at the last point. I can qualify for the final, I am very happy," said Gregoria, who previously won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Gregoria also appreciated his opponent's performance. "My credit to Sim Yu Jin who performed very well throughout this tournament. Today he put greater pressure than our last meeting in the Uber Cup," he said.

In the middle of the match, Gregoria received a warning from the referee for delaying the game too often. He realized that if the situation continued, he could be hit by a yellow card.

Men's Doubles Qualified for the Final The success of Gregoria advancing to the top round was also followed by the Indonesian men's doubles pair, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto. They confirmed their place in the final after defeating their compatriot, Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana, with a score of 21-18 and 21-13.

In the final, Fajar/Rian will face the host pair Japan, Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, in the race for the BWF Super 500 tournament title.

Jonathan Christie Failed to the Final Meanwhile, the unfortunate fate of the Indonesian men's singles, Jonatan Christie. He had to end his steps in the semifinals after losing dramatically to Malaysia's representative, Leong Jun Hao, with a score of 21-10, 18-21, and 20-22.

With Gregoria and Fajar/Rian passing to the final, Indonesia's hope to bring home the title from the 2024 Kumamoto Masters remains wide open.