Indonesia's Rafa Jeconia Verdasco Mangunsong Stuns Top Seed at DETEC Tournament

RRI.CO.ID, Sukoharjo - Indonesian teenage tennis player Rafa Jeconia Verdasco Mangunsong pulled off a major upset by defeating top seed Alfaradu Sumirat in the men’s singles quarterfinal of the Deddy Prasetyo Tennis Club (DETEC) International Junior Championship in Sukoharjo, Central Java, on Thursday, May 28, 2026.

The 17-year-old rising star battled fiercely against his fellow countryman at Gelora Merdeka Tennis Stadium, securing a spot in the semifinals.

“I was really lucky today. It was a tight match,” Rafa admitted after the game. “My back even got strained, and he also had trouble with his leg. But in the final set, I managed to turn things around after trailing 2-4. I fought back to win 6-4. The key was believing in myself and praying.”

Rafa will next face American player Brian Duan in the semifinals. Confident about his chances, he aims to maintain his flawless record of not dropping a single set in their head-to-head history.

“I’m confident I can win and reach the final. In our two previous meetings, he struggled with flat serves to his forehand. I’ll try to exploit that weakness again,” Rafa said.

In the other men’s semifinal, Joachim Mika Gunawan is set to take on Brandon Duan of the United States, who advanced after eliminating local hopeful Muhammad Jafar Harisah.

Indonesia has already secured a place in the women’s singles final. Top seed Gwen Emily Kurniawan cruised past Maula Saya in straight sets, while third seed Lulwa Naswardhani overcame a tough challenge from Kaylee Tandjung. The two will now clash in an all-Indonesian semifinal, with the winner facing either Lena Lin of Hong Kong or Xinran Yan of China.

Both foreign contenders booked their semifinal spots by defeating Indonesian hopefuls earlier in the tournament. Organized under the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the championship has also begun staging men’s and women’s doubles events. (Diffa Sephiawardhani)