Indonesia's Rafalentino/Ethan Reach ITF M15 Final in Breakthrough Run

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s 16-year-old tennis doubles pair Rafalentino Ali Da Costa/Ethan David Zapp secured their first ITF World Tennis Tour final after upsetting fourth seeds Sebastian Grundtvic Jorgensen/Ryotaro Taguchi in straight sets at the ITF M15 Bali on Friday, September 4, 2026.

The unseeded Indonesian duo defeated the Denmark/Japan pair 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and six minutes at Bali Beach Country Club, Nusa Dua, Bali, securing their first final appearance as a doubles partnership.

"This victory is the best birthday gift for my compatriot, who is celebrating his 17th birthday. It is also a record for us in doubles because we have reached a final," Rafalentino Ali Da Costa said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Friday, as quoted by Antara.

The duo said maintaining focus and avoiding complacency in every game were key factors in their semifinal victory. Rafalentino played calmly by relying on his forehand and backhand strokes, while Ethan was effective at the net with his volley interceptions.

The Indonesian pair maintained their consistency throughout the first set to secure a 6-4 win. In the second set, Rafalentino/Ethan remained disciplined and handled several crucial points to repeat the 6-4 score.

Ethan praised his partner’s performance, saying Rafalentino provided encouragement while helping develop their strategy, particularly during crucial points. "For tomorrow's final, I will play without pressure as usual, but I will still give my best to achieve the best possible result," Ethan said.

In the final scheduled for Saturday, September 5, Rafalentino/Ethan will face second seeds Alexander Chang/Pablo Perez Ramos. The United States/Spain pair secured their place in the final after defeating India’s Shanker Heisnam/Karan Singh 6-3, 6-4.

In the meantime, Indonesia failed to place a representative in the men’s singles semifinals after Nathan Barki was eliminated by India’s Karan Singh. Nathan lost to the fourth seed 1-6, 4-6 in a match lasting one hour and 16 minutes.

In the first set, Nathan came under pressure from Karan, who played solidly and consistently, allowing the 21-year-old Indonesian to win only one game.

Trying to fight back in the second set, Nathan increased the pace through a serve-and-volley approach, but the strategy was not enough to overcome the resilience of 23-year-old Karan.

In the semifinal, Karan will face Japan’s Ryotaro Taguchi, who advanced to the last four after defeating Hayden Jones 6-0, 5-7, 7-5 in a three-set battle. ***