RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Canada’s rising star Victor Lai once again proved a stumbling block for Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, eliminating the fourth seed in straight games at the China Open 2026 quarterfinals in Changzhou on Friday, July 24.

Jonatan fell 14–21, 17–21, marking his second consecutive defeat to the young Canadian after losing to him in the Indonesia Open final earlier this month. Despite the setback, Jonatan said he is still working to find the right approach against Lai’s style of play.

“I’m still searching for the right way to beat him, but I learned a bit more compared to the Indonesia Open,” Jonatan noted in a statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI), as quoted by Antara.

The Indonesian admitted his performance showed improvement from their previous meeting, though lapses in focus at crucial moments remained costly.

“I think I did my best. Some patterns were already correct, but suddenly shifted, and he spotted the gaps. When I eased off slightly, he raised the tempo and I ended up following his rhythm again,” he explained.

Jonatan praised Lai’s composure, defense, and shot variety, describing him as a promising talent for the future. “Victor Lai is one of the very good young players. He plays calmly, patiently, with solid defense and good shot variations,” he said.

With Jonatan’s exit, Indonesia’s campaign in the men’s singles draw of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 event came to an end, leaving the semifinals without an Indonesian representative. ***