Indonesia Masters: Home favourite Jonatan Christie, Carolina Marin storm into final

The world no. 3 Christie last played a final at the Asian Badminton Championship in May last year when he lost to Lee Zii Jia. The Indonesian last won a BWF World Tour title at the Swiss Open in March 2022.

Jonatan Christie and Carolina Marina react after winning their men’s and women’s singles semifinal matches against China’s Shi Yuqi and Han Yue in the Indonesia Masters at the Istora Stadium in Jakarta on January 28, 2023. | Photo Credit: AP and AFP

Fourth seed Jonatan Christie reached his first final in almost a year as he prevailed over Shi Yuqi of China 21-13, 15-21, 21-19 in an hour and 13 minutes in the men’s singles semifinal of the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta on Saturday.

Christie, who beat Lakshya Sen in the quarterfinals, will face fellow Indonesian Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the final on Sunday. Wardoyo defeated Ng Ka Long Angus in the second semifinal.

The world no. 3 Christie last played a final at the Asian Badminton Championship in May last year when he lost to Lee Zii Jia. The Indonesian last won a BWF World Tour title at the Swiss Open in March 2022.

Meanwhile, seventh seed Carolina Marin stormed into the women’s singles final with a thumping victory. The Spaniard thrashed Han Yue of China 21-15, 21-14 in 41 minutes.

She will take on world no. 2 An Se Young, who prevailed over Wang Zhiyi 21-9, 10-21, 21-16, in the final in quest of her first BWF World Tour title in two years. Marin won the Swiss Open Super 300 in March 2021.

In women’s doubles, the Japanese pairing of Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota beat Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan in straight games (21-14, 21-19) to seal their place in the final. Fukushima-Hirota will play Chinese pairing of Liu Shengshu and Zhang Shuxian for the Super 500 title.