Paris: Jonatan Christie emerged victorious as the champion of the 2023 French Open. The Indonesian men’s singles player defeated Li Shi Feng from China in a thrilling final held on Sunday.
In an intense battle, Christie fought back from behind to secure a remarkable comeback victory. The 26-year-old athlete from Jakarta initially struggled in the first game, facing a barrage of powerful shots from his 23-year-old Chinese opponent. Despite his efforts, Christie could only manage to score 16 points.
Highlights of Jonatan Christie vs. Li Shifeng in the 2023 French Open final:
However, he turned the tide in the second game. Growing in confidence, Christie skillfully executed net shots and unleashed powerful smashes that overwhelmed Li. He took control of the scoring and eventually sealed the second game with a score of 21-15.
The third game was fiercely contested, with both players earning points through incredible smashes and capitalizing on their opponent’s mistakes. At one point, Li needed treatment after slipping and falling while attempting to retrieve a shot from Christie. Seizing this opportunity, Christie continued to apply pressure on Li and ultimately emerged triumphant with a score of 21-14. With this victory, he became Indonesia’s first French Open men’s singles champion since Taufik Hidayat in 2010.
In the men’s doubles final, Indonesian pair Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana unfortunately fell short against Denmark’s Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, losing with a score of 14-21, 21-10, 18-21.
In the women’s singles final, Chen Yufei once again prevailed over Tai Tzu Ying in a thrilling rematch of their Tokyo 2020 final. Chen showed her strength in the closing stages of the first game and continued her momentum to secure a 21-17, 22-20 victory.
China dominated the finals day by winning the mixed doubles with Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin and the women’s doubles with Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning.
