Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin advanced to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games men’s doubles badminton tournament, securing a straight-games victory over Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul at the regional multisport games. The Indonesian pair claimed a 21-8, 24-22 win in the round of 16, though a tense second-game lapse prompted immediate warnings from the athletes regarding complacency moving forward in the bracket.
Match Breakdown and Round of 16 Recap
The Indonesian duo dominated the opening game, comfortably closing out a 21-8 scoreline against their Thai opponents. However, the contest tightened significantly in the second frame. After building a commanding 10-2 lead, Leo and Daniel allowed Peeratchai and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul to claw back into the match through a sudden surge of aggressive play.
Peeratchai and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul entered the second game playing with a nothing-to-lose mentality, capitalising on unforced errors from the Indonesian side as the deficit narrowed. The Thais had previously eliminated the tournament’s defending champions, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, establishing their capacity to trouble top-tier pairings when allowed to settle into a rhythm.
Reflecting on the second-game scare, Daniel admitted that holding such a substantial lead created temporary panic on the court. “Indeed, in the second game after leading 10-2, we got a bit careless and rushed, so we ended up panicking ourselves,” Daniel said after the match. “Incidents like that shouldn’t happen; this will be our experience for the future. We want to keep focusing, we can’t be arrogant yet.”
Leo offered a similar assessment of the momentum shift. “In the first game, they hadn’t immediately gotten into their game. In the second game, after managing to catch up, their game started to develop,” Leo noted. “After that, they also played nothing to lose, more recklessly than us. We actually became more careful, this must not be repeated next.”
Upcoming Quarterfinal Matchup
With the round of 16 victory secured, Leo and Daniel turn their attention to the quarterfinal stage of the Asian Games. Waiting for them in the next round is the Vietnamese men’s doubles pair of Dinh Hoang Nguyen and Dinh Manh Tran.
Recognizing the need for a more consistent performance against their upcoming opponents, Daniel emphasized that preparation must sharpen immediately. “Tomorrow we must be more ready,” Daniel stated regarding the upcoming quarterfinal fixture.
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