Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin claimed the scalp of reigning world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik to rubber-stamp Indonesia’s men’s doubles dominance on the second day of action at the YONEX All England Open.
The much-loved Minions withdrew on the eve of the tournament, but Indonesian fans still have plenty to cheer about in the discipline they can call their own.
With Marthin outstanding in defense, the unseeded pairing emerged 21-18 14-21 21-13 victors over the second seeds in just short of an hour of thrilling badminton.
Top seeds Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Fajar Alfian of Indonesia were made to fight for their All England lives as they came through a first-round classic.
The world No.1 pair took the first Super 1000 crown of 2023, the Malaysia Open, but were forced onto the back foot by South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae.
Kang and Seo won the first game 22-20 and held a six-point lead in the rubber, but the Indonesians came roaring back to claim the third 21-19 in a pulsating finish.
Alfian said: “Thanks for the support, and tomorrow will hopefully be better.”
Read more at allenglandbadminton.com