RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian men’s doubles pair, Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, bowed out in the round of 16 at the Singapore Open 2026 after falling in straight sets to Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xing/Aaron Tai at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Thursday, May 28.

According to BWF statistics, Sabar/Reza lost 19–21, 17–21 in a 38‑minute battle. Despite the defeat, they delivered an impressive performance and kept the contest fiercely competitive.

“We’re grateful to have played well today, but in terms of results we’re not satisfied. In the first game we had found the right rhythm, but towards the end we lost focus,” said Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani after the match.

The Indonesian duo pushed Kang/Tai to the brink in the opening game, trailing only 19–20 before conceding match point. In the second game, however, they fell behind early. Although they regained rhythm after the interval, the gap proved too wide to close.

“In the second game we started poorly. After they turned things around in the first, their confidence grew. We tried to fight back after the interval and found our rhythm again, but the margin was already too big,” Reza added.

Sabar noted that they had faced Kang/Tai last year and observed significant improvement in the Malaysian pair.

“Compared to last year, they’re much more mature and confident, probably because they’ve been playing more at the top level. Both have strong shots, and unfortunately, we made too many errors in the closing points, which shifted the momentum to them,” explained Sabar.

Looking ahead, Sabar and Reza are now focused on the prestigious Indonesia Open, scheduled for June 2–7, 2026. Their goal is to advance steadily through each round of the Super 1000 tournament.

“Next week at the Indonesia Open we want a better result. Hopefully our performance returns to its best. Last year we reached the final, and we don’t want that to be a burden but rather motivation to get through each round successfully,” Sabar concluded. (Diffa Sephiawardhani)