Birmingham, England – The Indonesian contingent at the 2026 All England Open Badminton Championships continues to shrink, with Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Rahmat Hidayat becoming the latest pair to exit the tournament. The Indonesian duo fell in straight games to China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yin in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 6th, at the Utilita Arena Birmingham.
The match, played in the evening hours in Birmingham (approximately 3:00 PM GMT), saw Rian and Rahmat struggle to find their rhythm against the composed Chinese pair. Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yin secured the victory with scores of 21-16 and 21-10, bringing an end to the Indonesian challenge in men’s doubles for now.
Despite a promising start in the first game, briefly keeping pace with their opponents, Rian/Rahmat were unable to maintain the pressure. Chen and Liu capitalized after the interval, building a significant lead and ultimately closing out the game 21-16. The momentum shifted decisively in favor of the Chinese pair, who demonstrated a particularly strong defensive game.
The second game proved even more one-sided. Rian and Rahmat initially took an early lead, reaching a 7-5 advantage. However, a series of unforced errors allowed Chen and Liu to seize control, embarking on a nine-point run to establish a commanding 16-8 lead. From there, the Chinese pair remained unchallenged, securing the game 21-10 after a final shot from Rahmat went out of bounds.
“Their game was remarkably good, especially their defense was very tight and not easy to penetrate. This made it difficult for us to find a way to finish the points,” Rian Ardianto said after the match, as reported by Indonesian media. “I think they also gained confidence when we failed to capitalize on several lift shots and they were able to return them.”
Rahmat Hidayat added, “We played impatiently, without control because the opponent didn’t die easily. They played long rallies and several times we could take the shuttlecock but it went past me, making me less confident in the front court. Besides that, we also made a lot of errors ourselves. We need to evaluate this for the Swiss Open.”
The All England Open, steeped in history as the world’s oldest badminton tournament, holds a unique place in the sport. Established in 1899, the tournament has evolved over the years, currently holding Super 1000 status within the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour. This places it among the most prestigious events on the calendar, alongside the World Championships and Olympic Games.
With Rian and Rahmat’s defeat, Indonesia now rests its hopes on Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, the remaining Indonesian men’s doubles team. They are scheduled to face the third-seeded Chinese pair of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the quarterfinals. That match promises to be a challenging encounter against one of the tournament’s top contenders.
Earlier in the day, Indonesia also saw Alwi Farhan fall in the quarterfinals of the men’s singles competition, losing to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight games (17-21, 12-21). The mixed doubles pair of Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah also suffered defeat, losing a close three-game match to China’s Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui (17-21, 21-18, 15-21).
The absence of Indonesian players in the semifinals marks a disappointing outcome for the nation’s badminton fans. However, the remaining team of Indra and Joaquin will appear to carry the flag and potentially salvage some success from the tournament. The Swiss Open, a Super 300 event, will be the next opportunity for the Indonesian players to regroup and demonstrate their capabilities.
What’s Next: Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin will face Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the All England Open quarterfinals. Further updates and results from the tournament will be available on the BWF website and through official tournament channels.
