KUALA LUMPUR – World number five men’s doubles pair Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto claimed their second Malaysia Masters today in a 21-12, 21-19 upset against third-ranked compatriots Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan in just 32 minutes.
Their last win at the Malaysia Masters was in 2018 when faced against Malaysia’s Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong.
“I’m thankful that we are able to claim our second title. Hopefully our journey will only get better after this,” said Fajar after the match at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil.
He also noted that their being away from home has been a necessary sacrifice, especially after not being able to celebrate Aidilfitri and Aidiladha.
“For sure, being away from our family especially during a special day such as Hari Raya Aidiladha is hard for us. We were also away during Aidilfitri.
“But this is part of our career and we are doing this as part of our professional responsibility to our country,” said Fajar.
Fajar-Rian had previously lost to their challengers twice, consecutively, in the past – in the 2019 World Championships to claim bronze and during the 2020 Indonesia Masters semi-finals.
“We evaluated each of our games in the past and identified our weaknesses. Maybe this is the reason for our improved performance this year, but we need to be consistent,” Rian added.
Also claiming their second title are second seeds Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong of China who defeated Indonesia’s Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari 21-17, 21-12 in 32 minutes.
Meanwhile, women’s doubles top seeds Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan of China claimed their maiden title after defeating Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida of Japan in straight sets 21-11, 21-12 in 40 minutes. – The Vibes, July 10, 2022
