Beat Thailand's Youth Squad, Indonesia reaches the quarter-finals

Also read: Thomas Indonesia Team Beware of Thailand

Therefore, the match between Indonesia and India will determine the group champion, while England and Thailand will be eliminated regardless of the results of the two matches that will take place on Wednesday.

After defeating England 5-0 on Saturday, Indonesia faced Thailand, which has a stronger team than England. However, to compete in Chengdu, Thailand did not have some of their best players, including their number one men's doubles pair, Supak Jomkoh/Kittinupong Kedren.

When facing the "Red and White Team", Thailand also chose to save their men's singles number one, Kunlavut Vitidsarn. They fielded mostly young players aged 18-22 years, one of whom was Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul (19 years) as the first single to fight Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.

The young Thai squad competes more in lower level BWF tournaments, namely Super 100, International Challenge/Series. This is different from Indonesian players who actively compete on the BWF World Tour. Jonatan Christie, even won the All England Super 1000 after beating Anthony in the final. Fajar/Rian are the 2023 and 2024 All England champions.

See also: Victory against Thailand determines whether the Indonesian Thomas Cup team advances to the quarter-finals

Based on that different experience, Indonesia beat Thailand as in every group stage meeting since the Thomas Cup 2014. As in other meetings, Indonesia lost one match, this time in the men's doubles, Fajar/Rian. They were defeated by Peeratchai Supkhun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 19-21, 21-14, 11-21 in the second match.

The toughest competition occurred during the group stage of the 2020 Thomas Cup, when Indonesia won 3-2. The victory was achieved in the last match after both teams shared a 2-2 win.

The difference in experience between the Indonesian and Thai squads in Chengdu was evident in the match between Anthony and Teeraratsakul. Anthony did not encounter much difficulty in applying his attacking style of play, resulting in a 21-16, 21-13 victory.

Nevertheless, Teeraratsakul showed his fighting spirit to keep up with Anthony. He was able to move quickly and hold his ground well despite often losing in the competition for the final settlement.

Also read: Initial Scenario Goes Well

"In the first game, the opponent played well. The speed and attacks were quite difficult. In the second game, I could be calmer and start finding ways to play as desired," said Anthony.

The seventh-ranked men's singles player stated that initially, he was preparing to compete against Vitidsarn. However, Anthony did not want to be fixated on the possibility of facing another top singles player, so he also studied the game of other players to anticipate different player formations from Thailand. Anthony finally got an idea when he had to face Thailand's second singles player, especially as it was their first meeting.

The victory in two matches was also achieved by Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin who contributed the third victory for Indonesia and Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the last match. This was the first appearance for the two Indonesian representatives after not being fielded when facing England.

Meanwhile, Jonatan was forced to play three games by Thailand's fourth-ranked men's singles player, Saran Jamsri, ranked 160th in the world, with a score of 21-16, 13-21, 21-12. Jonatan said that he has not been able to adapt well to the fast pace of the shuttlecock being used.

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"I haven't been able to handle it maximally yet, what is the best way to control it, especially when it's replaced with something new. So, earlier, I tried very hard to make sure it didn't become a big and detrimental problem. Apart from that, the opponent played cleverly in the second set. Their defense was tighter and their attack was more challenging," said Jonatan, who also became the champion of Asia this year.

In the last match, Chico tried to stay focused and play as best as possible even though Indonesia had secured a 3-1 victory. "This is my first match in the Thomas Cup this time. I am focused on giving my best performance. I am also glad to be trusted to be a part of the team again, but I know that the responsibility this time is greater," said Chico.

Fajar/Rian failed to contribute points

Despite the victory, the Indonesian men's team received a warning when Fajar/Rian failed to contribute to the win. They lost to the third-ranked men's doubles from Thailand, Peeratchai Supkhun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul, who are ranked 52nd in the world, 19-21, 21-14, 11-21.

We admit, the Thai pair played very well. The forwards are playmakers with smooth forward balls. Meanwhile, other players have very strong power.

The day before the match, the national training men's doubles coach, Aryono Miranat, explained the ability of Thai men's doubles to be wary of even though they rarely compete in high-level tournaments. Aryono mentioned the dangerous character of Thailand's game, including the no lob and hitting in front of the net.

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Aryono's assessment was seen in the Fajar/Rian match against Sukphun/Teeraratsakul which lasted 52 minutes. Fajar/Rian lost in a quick battle between drives and in front of the net.

In the third game, the Indonesian world seventh-ranked men's doubles team could not escape from the opponent's pressure, especially in the early strokes. In addition, the Thai pair could cleverly change the direction and type of strokes quickly, causing Fajar/Rian to eventually make mistakes.

”We admit, the Thai pair played very well. The forwards are playmakers with smooth forward balls. Meanwhile, other players have very strong power. We know it won't be easy against them. "Moreover, earlier, especially me, was hesitant in controlling the speed of the shuttlecock so that the discharge was not optimal," said Fajar.

In the afternoon session, starting at 4:00 PM, the Indonesian Uber Cup team will face Uganda. If they win, the women's team will secure a spot in the quarterfinals alongside Japan, who have qualified from Group C with two wins over Uganda and Hong Kong.

Indonesia vs Thailand Thomas Cup Results

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting – Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 21-16, 21-13

Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto – Peeratchai Supkhun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 19-21, 21-14 , 11-21

Jonatan Christie – Saran Jamsri 21-16, 13-21, 21-12

Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin – Sirawit Sothon/Natthapat Trinkajee 21-13, 21-10

Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo – Machakorn Pusri 21-10, 21-11