RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's men's singles shuttler Moh Zaki Ubaidillah advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 Japan Open after defeating Denmark's Rasmus Gemke in his debut appearance at the BWF Super 750 tournament.

Quoting the Badminton World Federation (BWF) official website, Ubaidillah secured a hard-fought 21-14, 16-21, 21-18 victory in their first-ever meeting. The match lasted 68 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

Ubaidillah delivered an impressive performance in the opening game, taking the interval lead and maintaining his advantage until the end. However, the 19-year-old's level dropped at crucial moments in the second game after initially leading. Gemke turned the match around from 13-15 by winning six consecutive points to claim the second game.

In the deciding game, it was Ubaidillah who mounted the comeback. Trailing 12-14, Ubaidillah scored four straight points to take the lead and continued to collect points consistently to seal the match.

After the victory, Ubaidillah expressed gratitude for winning without suffering any injury and acknowledged the difficulty of the contest. "Alhamdulillah, I was able to win today and finish the match without injury. It was a long match," Ubaidillah said.

"It was definitely not easy. In the first game, maybe he was a little surprised by my pace, but in the second game he managed to anticipate my shots. In the third game, he also took an early lead. After the interval, I lost focus for a while and became emotional. I still need to improve in controlling situations like that," he added.

Ubaidillah said his coach's guidance helped him regain composure in the deciding game, describing the experience as an important lesson. "Fortunately, my coach kept encouraging me. I tried to control my breathing and calm myself down. Thankfully, I was able to turn the match around. This is a valuable lesson for me going forward," he continued.

Next, Moh Zaki Ubaidillah will face Denmark's Anders Antonsen in the round of 16. "Tomorrow I will face Anders Antonsen. I hope I can give my best and perform the way I want to," he further said. (Diffa Sephiawardhani)