Japan Open 2023: Jonathan Christie Qualifies For Quarter Finals

Jonathan Christie qualified for the quarter-finals of the Japan Open 2023/PBSI

JAKARTA Indonesian men's singles Jonatan Christie managed to beat Chinese representative Weng Hong Yang to reach the quarter-finals of the Japan Open 2023.

The owner of the 2018 Asian Games gold medal got tickets for the top eight of the BWF Super 750 event after winning two games 21-15 and 21-14 at Yoyogi Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, July 27.

This victory is the first that Jonathan has won over Weng out of a total of three of their clashes. In the previous two meetings, Jonathan was recorded as always losing.

Jonathan felt the first defeat when they faced off in the Korean Open 2022 final. Following that the next defeat occurred in this year's All England event.

"I'm happy with my first win against Weng Hong Yang after the previous two meetings had not been successful. But more than that, I am happy to be able to implement and issue a strategy as planned," Jonatan said in a statement after the match.

"I kept trying to pressure him, more daring to carry out attacks than the two previous meetings. I didn't let him develop," he added.

Jonathan is the only Indonesian representative of the men's singles left at this year's Japan Open. The reason is, the other men's singles Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo has been confirmed to lift the suitcase.

Chico's journey stopped after he lost two straight games against the world number one men's singles as well as Denmark's first seed Viktor Axelsen.

Before Jonathan, several Indonesian representatives had gone to the quarter-finals. Among them are Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

Then the veteran men's doubles pair Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan and the women's doubles Febriana Dwi Puji Kusuma/Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi also qualified for the quarter-finals.