RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's men's badminton doubles pair Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri successfully overcame a challenging opening test at the 2026 China Open, keeping their title defense on track while building momentum for another deep run in the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament.

The second seeds defeated China's Huang Di/Liu Yang 21-15, 20-22, 21-9 in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, after battling through a competitive three-game encounter.

Fajar admitted the match was far from straightforward, as the Chinese pair played with great determination in front of a vocal home crowd. "Thank God we were able to win today," Fajar said in a statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) on Wednesday, July 22.

"It was not an easy match because the Chinese pair played with great fighting spirit, supported by an incredible home crowd from the very first day. The atmosphere was amazing, but we didn't want to be outdone," he added.

The Indonesian duo also had to adapt quickly after missing the official practice session at the competition venue.

"We didn't have the chance to try the competition court during yesterday's practice, so we had to adjust to the court conditions, the wind, and the shuttlecock characteristics during the match," Fajar explained.

"It felt quite different from Tokyo, and there were moments when we were still hesitant. Fortunately, we started well in the third game and stayed ahead," he remarked.

Fajar added that competing in consecutive tournaments after winning last week's Japan Open has made physical recovery a top priority. The second and third tournaments in a back-to-back schedule, he noted, were never easy, especially after reaching the final stages of the previous event.

"We have to pay extra attention to recovery, nutrition, vitamins, and rest. Thanks to the support from the PBSI team, including physiotherapists and sports recovery staff, everything has gone well so far," he said.

He also stressed the importance of staying mentally fresh throughout the demanding schedule. "We have to keep our minds fresh and enjoy the process. Anything outside the tournament has to be put aside because it can drain our energy," he continued.

Fikri acknowledged that expectations remain high as defending champions and newly crowned Japan Open winners, but said the pair is treating the pressure as motivation rather than a burden.

"There is always pressure in every tournament, not only here because we are defending champions and just won in Japan last week. We don't want to overthink it. We prefer to take the positive side of it to stay motivated and gain more confidence," Fikri said. ***