Nathan Barki Reaches ITF M15 Quarterfinals as Indonesia’s Sole Representative

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian tennis player Nathan Barki kept the host nation’s hopes alive at the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 Amman Mineral Men’s World Tennis Championship 2026 Series V by reaching the men’s singles quarterfinals after upsetting top seed Anthon Shepp in straight sets.

The 21-year-old defeated the New Zealand player, ranked 499th in the ATP, 6–4, 6–3 in one hour and 10 minutes at Bali Beach Country Club, Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday, September 10, 2026.

“It was not an easy match against a player like Anthon Shepp, who has a powerful serve and an aggressive game. However, staying calm and applying the right strategy helped me defeat him,” Nathan said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Thursday, September 10, as quoted by Antara.

Facing Shepp’s aggressive style and strong serve, Nathan chose to remain patient and place his shots carefully. The approach proved effective in limiting his opponent’s attacks and earned him a 6–4 win in the opening set.

The Indonesian maintained the same pattern in the second set. Shepp struggled to develop his game and grew frustrated, committing several unforced errors before losing the set 3–6.

Nathan’s victory made him the only Indonesian player among the three men’s singles representatives to reach the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, second seed Muhamad Rifqi Fitriadi was eliminated by Australian Hayden Jones. Rifqi lost the opening set 5–7 and failed to shift momentum in the second, with Jones securing a 10–8 tiebreak to complete a straight‑set win.

Rafalentino Ali Da Costa also saw his singles run end after losing 0–6, 3–6 to fifth seed Karan Singh of India.

Rafalentino later suffered another defeat in the doubles event, partnering Ethan David Zapp against Alexander Chang/Pablo Perez Ramos in the quarterfinals. The Indonesian pair lost 3–6, 4–6.

The result left no Indonesian pairs remaining in the doubles competition. Earlier, Ethan Jake Frans/M. Ragil Putra and Kareem Abdul Hakim/Andrez Nech had been eliminated in the first round. ***