RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian shuttlers, mixed doubles pair Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja made a winning start to their 2026 China Open campaign, using a hard-fought opening-round victory to rebuild their competitive rhythm after more than a month away from tournament action.

Rehan and Gloria defeated Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson 22-20, 23-25, 21-14 in the round of 32 in Changzhou, China, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

"Today really felt like my first match after more than a month without competing. Throughout the match, I kept trying to regain my competitive feeling and rhythm. Thankfully, we managed to overcome the pressure," Gloria said in a statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) on Tuesday, July 21, as quoted by Antara.

The Indonesians struggled to adapt early as they encountered court conditions with noticeably different wind directions from those experienced during practice. After narrowly taking the opening game, they lost momentum in the second before raising the tempo and playing with greater confidence in the deciding game.

"Alhamdulillah, we're grateful to get the win and overcome the challenges on court. In the opening game, we weren't comfortable because we hadn't fully adjusted to the strong wind differences," Rehan said.

"In the second game, we relaxed too much and gave away too many points. Fortunately, in the third game we regained our focus, increased the pace, and played with more confidence," he added.

Gloria said adjusting their tactical approach in the deciding game proved to be the turning point, as the wind conditions differed significantly from their training sessions.

"We applied the wrong strategy in the first two games because the wind direction was the opposite of what we experienced during practice. We changed our pattern in the third game, and thankfully it worked," she said.

The victory marks an encouraging first step as Rehan and Gloria seek improved results in an increasingly competitive mixed doubles circuit.

"We definitely want better results and to catch up with the top pairs. Mixed doubles competition is now very balanced. No pair is truly dominant, and we also have to be aware of emerging partnerships, including those from the United States," Rehan continued.

In the second round, Rehan and Gloria will face either Denmark's Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje or Malaysia's Tien Ci Wong and Chiew Sien Lim.

The China Open 2026 is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the BWF World Tour, carrying Super 1000 status, the highest regular level on the circuit outside the season-ending World Tour Finals.

The tournament takes place from July 21-26, 2026, at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China, with a total prize purse of USD 2 million. ***