RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s men’s doubles pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh. Reza Pahlevi Isfahani battled through a tense three‑game encounter to secure a place in the second round of the 2026 Indonesia Open, joining their younger compatriots Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin in the last 16.

Playing in front of home fans at Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Sabar and Reza defeated the United States duo Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith 21‑19, 13‑21, 23‑21 in a dramatic first‑round match.

“As usual, playing at Istora is not easy because of the wind conditions, the atmosphere, and various non‑technical factors. The American pair played much more freely, but we tried to apply the right game plan every time we switched sides,” Sabar said after the match, as quoted by Antara.

Sabar acknowledged that the contest was far from easy, as their opponents applied constant pressure and played without the burden of expectations.

Despite advancing to the next round, Sabar stressed that he and Reza could not afford to become complacent. He noted that competition at the BWF Super 1000 level has become increasingly balanced, making every opponent a potential threat.

Meanwhile, Reza revealed that a string of disappointing results in BWF tournaments since the beginning of the year had affected the pair’s confidence on court.

“Our mentality has dropped a little because we know our results since the start of the year have not been good and have not met expectations. Regaining confidence has been quite difficult for both of us,” Reza said.

In the round of 16, Sabar and Reza will face China’s young pair, Huang Di and Liu Yang. Reza said the Indonesian duo already has a general understanding of their upcoming opponents’ playing style as they prepare for the next challenge. ***