Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan Advance to Indonesia Masters Second Round

0
2605
The 2025 Indonesia Masters marks the last dance for Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan, also known as
The 2025 Indonesia Masters marks the last dance for Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan, also known as "The Daddies". (Photo: AFP)

Jakarta: Indonesia’s legendary men’s doubles duo, Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, overcame Taiwan’s Chiang Chien-Wei and Wu Hsuan-Yi in a tightly contested first-round match at the 2025 Indonesia Masters. The pair, affectionately known as “The Daddies,” secured their victory in straight sets, 21-19, 22-20, at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta.

Highlights of Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan vs. Chiang Chien-Wei and Wu Hsuan-Yi in 2025 Indonesia Masters first round:

After the match, Ahsan revealed that he faced significant challenges during his preparation for the tournament due to a lingering back injury. He had only managed three training sessions since November, relying on light practice matches to stay active.

“Since my last official match in November, I’ve only trained three times. During practice, I felt back pain, so I decided to hold off. My last training was just casual evening games with older players to get some sweat,” Ahsan shared with reporters.

Despite limited preparation, The Daddies demonstrated their vast experience to handle the aggressive playstyle of their Taiwanese opponents.

Hendra noted that the court conditions, particularly the wind, worked in their favor. “Their shots were powerful but often went out due to the wind. The shuttle drifted, which benefited us,” said the 40-year-old Setiawan.

In the Round of 16, Ahsan and Hendra will face Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King, who defeated Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan 21-17, 21-19 in their opening match.

This tournament holds special significance for The Daddies, as they have announced the 2025 Indonesia Masters will be their final professional competition before retiring.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s top-seeded men’s doubles pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, also progressed to the Round of 16 after a dramatic win over Denmark’s William Kryger Boe/Christian Faust Kjær.

After cruising to a 21-13 victory in the first game, the second game proved much tougher. Trailing for most of the game, Chia and Soh saved three game points at 18-20 and 20-21 before clinching the win 23-21 to secure their place in the next round.

They will face Taiwan’s Lu Ming Che and Tang Kai Wei in their next match.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here