Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto started 2023 by winning the Malaysia Open tournament. They have achieved many “firsts" with the title.
By
YULIA SAPTHIANI
·4 minutes read
AP/KIEN HUO
Indonesian badminton men's doubles, Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Fajar Alfian, won the 2023 Malaysia Open after defeating Chinese doubles, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, in the final at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday (15/1/2023). Fajar/Rian won 21-18, 18-21, 21-13..
KUALA LUMPUR, SUNDAY — Fajar Alfian and Muhammad “Rian” Ardianto have successfully accomplished their mission as Indonesia's sole representatives in the final of the Malaysia Open badminton tournament by winning the title. This achievement is a first for them in many ways. They are well-equipped to face important competitions in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Fajar/Rian won the men's doubles title after defeating the Chinese pair, Wang Chang/Liang Wei Keng, 21-18, 18-21, 21-13, at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday (15/ 1/2023). This title is the first for Fajar/Rian after becoming the world's number one men's doubles team on 27 Dec. 2022.
Fajar/Rian were not the only champions at the 2023 Malaysia Open. Many other players have the status of the world’s number one. They are Viktor Axelsen (men's singles, Denmark), Akane Yamaguchi (women's singles, Japan), Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan (women's doubles, China), and Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong (doubles mixed, China).
There are privileges for Fajar/Rian for winning the final. For the first time, they have won the BWF World Tour Super 1000 Tournament. The match against Wang/Liang was Fajar/Rian's first final at that level.
"Thank God, we were able to play well. This title is for Indonesia and our fans. Thank you for the support, to the spectators who are here," said Fajar in front of the audience at the Axiata Arena.
This year's Malaysia Open is at the Super 1000 level, a step up from the Super 750 category in 2022. The Super 1000 is the BWF World Tour's second tier tournament since the structure was implemented in 2018. The highest level in the BWF World Tour category is the BWF Finals, with eight of the best representatives in each year.
AP/KIEN HUO
Indonesian men's doubles player, Muhammad Rian Ardianto (front), tries to reach the shuttlecock against Chinese doubles, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, in the 2023 Malaysia Open final at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday (15/1/2023) . Fajar/Rian won 21-18, 18-21, 21-13..
Previously, Fajar/Rian's best result in the Super 1000 tournament was the semifinals, namely at the 2018 Indonesia Open, 2019 All England and 2019 China Open. With the Malaysia Open, they have completed the championship title from Super 300 to 750. They won three Super 300 tournaments, four Super 500 and one Super 750.
Fajar/Rian achieved this feat after going through ups and downs. Becoming a men’s double pair in 2014, their performance was consistently at the top level in 2018. They also won championship titles at the Malaysia Masters and Syed Modi International championships in India in four finals.
The following year, Fajar/Rian managed to win two titles, namely the Swiss Open and the Korean Open. However, they were unable to maintain their performance in 2021 when the badminton tournament resumed after many had been canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fajar/Rian failed to compete against the senior pair, Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Hendra/Ahsan were chosen to accompany Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo/Marcus Fernaldi Gideon because they had a better world ranking.
Being warned
We always want to be the best, keep thinking positively and focus on every game.
Prior to topping the world rankings for the first time on 27 Dec. 2022, Fajar/Rian had started the 2022 competition badly. After losing in the second round of the German Open and the first round of the All England, coach Herry Iman Pierngadi warned Fajar/Rian that they could be defeated by young players if they did not improve.
They took it with a positive mindset and it pushed them to improve. As a result, they became the most consistent men's doubles team with four titles in eight finals. Fajar/Rian have started 2023 with a title from a major event.
”We always want to be the best, keep thinking positively and focus on every game. This title will certainly be our motivation to bring a title for Indonesia," said Fajar.
