RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia kept its men's badminton doubles campaign alive at the BWF World Tour Super 750 Japan Open 2026 as second seeds Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri advanced to the round of 16, while Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin exited in the opening round.

Competing at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Fajar/Fikri defeated France's Christo Popov/Toma Junior Popov in straight games, 21-19, 21-13.

Fajar admitted he struggled with confidence early in the opening game and committed several unforced errors.

"At the beginning of the first game, I lacked confidence and made too many mistakes. Around six or seven points came from my own errors," Fajar said in a statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) on Wednesday, July 15, as quoted by Antara.

After the mid-game interval, the Indonesian pair improved their communication and determination, gradually taking control of the match.

"After the interval, we kept communicating and reminded each other not to give up. We showed more fighting spirit, took control of the game, and managed to win," Fajar added.

Earlier in the day, Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin were eliminated after losing a three-game battle to Japan's Haruki Kawabe/Kenta Matsukawa, 16-21, 23-21, 10-21.

The Indonesian pair struggled to match the speed and power of the home duo from the opening game, finding it difficult to establish their attacking rhythm.

Although Raymond/Joaquin fought back to win a tightly contested second game and force a decider, they were unable to sustain the momentum. The Japanese pair regained control in the third game, leaving the Indonesians trailing before sealing the victory.

"We're definitely not satisfied today. From the first to the third game, we couldn't play our game at all. We hesitated too much. We weren't solid enough in defense against their fast shots, and when we tried to attack the front court, they were simply quicker than us," Raymond said. ***