Ubed Advances to Second Round with Confident Win in Sydney

RRI.CO.ID, Sydney - Moh Zaki Ubadillah has secured his spot in the second round of the Australian Open 2026. The young Indonesian shuttler defeated Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen in straight games.

Competing at the Quaycentre in Sydney, Ubadillah -- affectionately known as Ubed -- won with a score of 21-14, 21-11. The round of 32 match lasted for 47 minutes.

This marked the first-ever meeting between Ubed and the Thai representative. Right from the start of the match, Ubed played aggressively and controlled the tempo of the game.

The 18-year-old shuttler opened the match by scoring four consecutive points. This early lead became crucial capital for dominating the first game.

Ubed led 12-5 at the first-game interval. He then racked up six consecutive points before sealing the opening game.

"Alhamdulillah (All praises to Allah), today I was able to play smoothly without any injuries and was granted the win. The strategy we prepared went according to plan," he said.

In the second game, the competition was briefly tight up to a 5-5 tie. However, Ubed quickly reasserted his dominance and left his opponent's score far behind.

The world number 35 player noted that he dropped five points due to his opponent shifting the tempo. He is determined to fix this shortcoming for his next match.

"The evaluation is that I lost five points because the opponent changed the tempo. I need to be better prepared tomorrow," he reflected.

In the second round, Ubed will face the experienced Lee Cheuk Yiu from Hong Kong. He stated that he is ready to put up his best fight against the veteran player.

"I definitely won't be intimidated and I want to challenge his game. I will stay focused and give it my absolute best," Ubed concluded. (Diva Rifdah)