Richie Duta Richardo (Photo PB Djarum)
Teenager Richie Duta Richardo helped Indonesia pull off another Houdini act at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Qingdao.
A day after squeezing through 3-2 against Malaysia in their Group D encounter, Indonesia edged out Thailand 3-2 in the quarter-finals with Richie clinching the winning point.
The 18-year-old, a bronze medallist at the World Junior Championships last year, defeated Tanawat Yimjit 21-5, 21-17 in the deciding third singles. In fact it was the trio of singles players, who delivered for Indonesia as both the doubles faltered.
Indonesia started their campaign for a place in the semi-finals with Moh Zaki Ubaidillah defeating Teeraratsakul Panitchaphon 21-13, 22-20 for the opening point.
But, Thailand took the first doubles to level the score. Leo Rolly Carnando-Bagas Maulana were beaten by Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 14-21, 21-15, 21-17.
Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo pit Indonesia back in front with a hard earned 21-7, 17-21, 21-18 win over Puritat Arree 21-7, 17-21, 21-18 in the second singles.
Indonesia’s fast rising Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin were, however, not able to replicate their recent fine form and were beaten by Pharanyu Kaosamaang-Worrapol Thongsa-Nga 19-21, 18-21.
Al eyes and hopes was on the shoulders of the 18-year-old Richie and he delivered for the Indonesians.
Indonesia will now take on Japan who romped past Malaysia 3-0 in their quarter-final tie.
The other semi-finals will see Korea taking on China, who beat India and Chinese Taipei respectively by 3-1 margins.
In the women’s team competition both Indonesia and Chinese Taipei pulled off upset wins over higher ranked teams.
Indonesia edged Thailand 3-2 while Chinese Taipei stunned Japan by the same margin.
Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo beat Pornpicha Choeikeewong 21-13, 21-16 in the deciding third singles match to give Indonesia their winning point. Despite being ranked lower than Pornpicha, Ester maintained her track record for her fifth career win over the Thai player.
In the tie between Wen Chi Hsu and Yuzuno Watanabe it took a 70-minute battle for the Chi Hsu to carve out a 21-18, 8-21, 21-15 win and a place in the semi-finals.
Chinese Taipei will play China, who blanked India 3-0, in the semi-finals while Indonesia face the Koreans led by the mercurial An Se-young. Korea had romped past Malaysia 3-0 in their quarter-final tie.
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
WOMEN’S
China beat India 3-0 (Gao Fengjie bt Tanvi Sharma 21-9, 21-9; Jia Yifan-Zhang Shuxian bt Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Pullela 24-22, 21-18; Xu Wenjing bt Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj 14-21, 21-15, 21-17
Korea bt Malaysia 3-0 (An Se-young bt Letshanaa Karupathevan (Mas) 21-11, 21-11; Baek Ha-na-Kim Hye-jeong bt Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting 21-13, 21-9; Park Ga-eun bt Wong Ling Ching 21-16, 21-12)
Indonesia bt Thailand 3-2 (Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan lost to Busanan Ongbamrungphan 22-24, 18-12; Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Puspitasari bt Tidapron Kleebyeesun-Nattamon Laisuan 21-14, 21-18; Ni Kadak Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi lost to Pitchamon Opatniputh 21-19, 17-21, 13-21; Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti bt Hathaithip Mijad-Napapakorn Tungkasatan 21-13, 21-9; Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo bt Pornpicha Choeikeewong 21-13, 21-16)
Chinese Taipei bt Japan 3-2 (Chiu Pin-chian lost to Riko Gunji 13-21, 16-21; Hsu Ya Ching-Sung Yu-hsuan lost to Kie Nakanishi-Miyu Takahashi 15-21, 17-21; Lin Hsiang Ti bt Hina Akechi 17-21, 21-19, 21-15; Hsu Yin-hui-Yang Ching Tun bt Hinata Suzuki-Nao Yamakita 22-20, 12-21, 21-13; Wen Chi Hsu bt Yuzuno Watanabe 21-18, 8-21, 21-15)
MEN’S
Japan bt Malaysia 3-0 (Yushi Tanaka bt Justin Hoh 21-17, 20-22, 21-11; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayahsi bt Junaidi Arif-Yap Roy King 21-14, 21-12; Koki Watanabe bt Sholeh Aidil 20-22, 21-11, 21-3)
China bt Chinese Taipei 3-1 (Wang Zheng Xing bt Lin Chun-yi 21-11, 21-10; Hu Keyuan-Lin Xingyi bt Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan 24-26, 21-19, 21-18; Hu Zhean lost to Wang Tzu Wei 16-21, 18-21; He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu bt Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-lin 21-11, 22-20)
Korea bt India 3-1 (Yoo Tae-bin bt Ayush Shetty 18-21, 21-14, 26-24; Cho Song-hyun-Kim Won-ho bt Hariharan Amsakarunan-Chirag Shetty 21-11, 21-13; Choi Ji-hoon lost to Kidambi Srikanth 15-21, 16-21; Jin Yong-Ki Dong-ju bt Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy-Sai Pratheek K 21-11, 21-16
Indonesia bt Thailand 3-2 (Moh Zaki Ubaidillah bt Teeraratsakul Panitchaphon 21-13, 22-20; Leo Rolly Carnando-Bagas Maulana lost to Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 14-21, 21-15, 21-17; Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo bt Puritat Arree 21-7, 17-21, 21-18; Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin lost to Pharanyu Kaosamaang-Worrapol Thongsa-Nga 19-21, 18-21; Richie Duta Richardo bt Tanawat Yimjit 21-5, 21-17
