RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian women’s doubles pair Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum delivered a crucial victory to even the tie at 1-1 against Japan in the second Group X match of the 2026 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) at Qingdao Conson Gymnasium on Thursday, February 5.

Rachel/Febi secured the point after a dramatic three-game duel, overcoming Japan’s Arisa Igarashi/Chiharu Shida with scores of 21-12, 18-21, 23-21.

“Thank God, I’m very happy to contribute a point and come out of the match without any injuries. From the start, we tried to stay calm but not relaxed, focused and determined not to lose,” Rachel said in a statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) after the match, as quoted by Antara.

The Indonesian duo dominated the opening game, controlling the rallies early and heading into the interval with an 11-5 lead before sealing the set 21-12.

The second game told a different story. Igarashi/Shida raised their intensity, racing ahead 11-3 at the interval. Rachel/Febi fought back to level at 16-16, but the Japanese pair held firm to take the game 21-18.

“In the second game, after trailing far behind, we managed to catch up and equalize. But then we rushed to finish points too quickly, which led to many unforced errors,” Febi admitted.

The decider unfolded as a tense battle, with both pairs trading points until Japan edged ahead 11-10 at the interval. Rachel/Febi held their nerve in the closing stages, capitalizing on key moments to clinch the match 23-21.

“Honestly, in the third game we didn’t expect to come back and win. We were trailing quite far and under pressure, but we tried to follow the coach’s instructions, stay confident, and trust both our individual abilities and our partnership. Step by step, point by point, we managed to escape the pressure,” Rachel added.

Earlier, Indonesia had fallen behind after women’s singles player Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan lost to Japan’s Riko Gunji 14-21, 16-21. ***