Jonatan Christie Advances to World Championships Round of 32

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian men's single shuttler Jonatan Christie began Indonesia’s campaign at the BWF World Championships 2026 with a straight-game victory over Germany’s Matthias Kicklitz, giving the third seed a strong start as he seeks to advance further at the prestigious tournament.

Jonatan, the third seed, defeated Kicklitz 21-15, 21-14 in about 40 minutes in the round of 64 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

“Overall, it was in line with the goal. I wanted to find my rhythm and learn more about the conditions in the stadium,” Jonatan said in a statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) on Tuesday, August 18, as quoted by Antara.

Jonatan had to work hard from the beginning as Kicklitz took a 4-0 lead in the opening game. Jonatan narrowed the gap to 2-4, but his opponent pulled away again to lead 15-7.

Jonatan gradually fought back to reduce the deficit to 13-18 before taking the next two points to make it 15-19. He secured the opening game 21-15.

In the second game, Jonatan again fell behind early. Kicklitz opened with a 3-0 lead and extended the advantage to 7-1. Jonatan fought back to close the gap to 9-11, but Kicklitz moved ahead again at 14-9.

After trailing 10-16, Jonatan regained control and continued collecting points to close out the game 21-14. “Thank God, I’m grateful to have advanced and played well today. I think I played quite well,” Jonatan said.

He said the opening match of a tournament always requires players to adapt to different conditions on court.

“There is always adjustment in the first match of every tournament, adjustment to the shuttlecock, court conditions, and whether you are playing with or against the wind,” Jonatan continued.

The victory sent Jonatan into the round of 32 at the BWF World Championships 2026, making him the first Indonesian player to compete on the second day of the tournament.

Besides Jonatan, Indonesia will also field Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja, Bimo Prasetyo/Arlya Nabila Thesya Munggaran, and Marwan Faza/Aisyah Salsabila Putri Pranata. ***