RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian badminton stars made a strong start on the opening day of the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2026 at Istora Gelora Bung Karno (GBK), Jakarta, Tuesday, January 20, 2026, with several singles and doubles pairs advancing to the next round amid a vibrant home crowd.

In the women’s doubles, the newly formed duo Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti/Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi impressed on debut, defeating Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn/Sukitta Suwachai 21-8, 21-15 to secure a place in the second round.

Fadia and Amallia were paired late last year, with Fadia previously partnering Apriyani Rahayu and Amallia teaming with Lanny Tria Mayasari. Interestingly, Apriyani and Lanny will also compete as a new pair in this tournament.

“Alhamdulillah, we played quite well with Fad. Some rotations still need improvement, but we’ll work on them in the next matches,” Amallia said, as quoted on the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) website.

Making their Super 500 debut in front of a packed Istora, both players expressed excitement.

“It’s great to debut in Indonesia, playing at Istora, which is so crowded today. We played well. Of course, we were nervous before the match, but our warm-up helped us prepare better,” Fadia said.

“I’m really happy on the first day with the Istora crowd. I was a bit nervous playing with Fad for the first time, but that’s normal. We just maximized our performance,” Amallia added.

In the second round, Fadia/Amallia will face another Thai duo, Napapakorn Tungkasatan/Hathaitip Mijad, who earlier upset second-seeded Hsu Yin Hui/Lin Jhih Yun of Chinese Taipei in straight games, 23-21, 21-15.

Elsewhere in women’s doubles, Rachel Alessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum and Siti Sarah Azzahra/Az Zahra Ditya Ramadhani also advanced and will meet each other for a quarterfinal berth.

In men’s doubles, Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana booked a quarterfinal spot after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Zhi-Wei He/Huang Jui-Hsuan 21-16, 21-16. The world No. 18 pair could potentially face compatriots Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, who advanced by beating Chen Zhi Ray/Lin Yu Chieh of Chinese Taipei 21-16, 21-10 in just 30 minutes.

“Today, we played freely, nothing to lose, just wanted to show our best in Indonesia,” Bagas said. “Facing the world No. 3, we remain cautious. We’ll see how it goes on the court tomorrow,” Leo added.

Both pairs are adjusting to the new 25-second Time Clock rule introduced this year. “Men’s doubles are fast anyway. Most rallies don’t last long, so the 25-second limit isn’t felt much,” Fajar explained.

If Leo/Bagas and Fajar/Fikri meet in the second round, Indonesia will be guaranteed a quarterfinal spot. “If we face each other, there are pros and cons. One must go out, but at least one Indonesian pair is assured of reaching the last eight,” Fajar said.

Another men’s doubles duo, Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin, also progressed to the round of 16 after defeating France’s Eloi Adam/Leo Rossi 22-20, 15-21, 21-10. After dropping the second game, Raymond/Joaquin adjusted their strategy in the decider to dominate 21-10.

“In the second game, the opponents changed their pattern, and we were late to adjust,” Joaquin explained. “We were a bit too eager to finish the match, which created pressure on ourselves,” Raymond added.

“This is my first Indonesia Masters. The atmosphere is incredible, much more lively than other tournaments,” said Joaquin, reflecting on the atmosphere.

Beyond world-class badminton, the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2026 also offers fans a festival-like experience at Istora, featuring food stalls, interactive games, meet-and-greet sessions, and live screenings. ***