Yeosu: The men’s doubles semi-final at the 2023 Korea Open witnessed a thrilling showdown as Indonesia’s world No. 1 pair, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, clashed against South Korea’s formidable duo, Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-Jae. After an intense battle spanning three grueling sets, Alfian/Ardianto emerged victorious, shattering the dreams of Kang/Seo for defending the title.
Highlights of Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto vs. Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-Jae in the 2023 Korea Open semi-finals:
In the 2022 Korea Open final, it was Kang/Seo who defeated Alfian/Ardianto 19-21, 21-15, 21-18 to clinch the title.
Alfian/Ardianto secured a hard-fought semi-final victory against world No. 12 Kang/Seo with a scoreline of 17-21, 21-16, 21-18. This win marks their triumphant return to the World Tour final, following their previous victory at the All England Championship in March earlier this year.
The decisive game proved to be a nail-biting affair, with Alfian/Ardianto trailing 16-17 before rallying to score three consecutive points, taking the lead at 19-17. However, the South Korean pair fought back tenaciously, equalizing at 19-19. With the match hanging in the balance, Kang Min-hyuk’s two mistakes at the net handed crucial points to Alfian/Ardianto, allowing them to secure a place in the final.
This thrilling encounter also resulted in a change in the head-to-head record between the two sides, with Alfian/Ardianto now leading with 3 wins to 2 losses against Kang/Seo.
In the much-anticipated final match, Alfian/Ardianto will face off against India’s World No. 3 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty. Rankireddy/Shetty outlasted No. 2 seeds
Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang 21-15, 24-22 in the semi-finals.
Both Alfian/Ardianto and Rankireddy/Shetty have met four times in the past, with each side securing two victories. The upcoming final promises to be a fiercely contested battle for the championship title.
In the women’s doubles final, Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan will take on Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong while Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin are set to meet compatriots Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping in the mixed doubles final.
