Jakarta. Indonesian mixed doubles pair, Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu, successfully advanced to the round of 16 at the Japan Open 2025 after a convincing win over the Chinese duo, Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui, with a score of 21-12 and 21-17 in the opening match on Wednesday

Felisha expressed her gratitude for being able to compete again at the international level after a fairly long break. She said their adaptation to the court and match conditions went well.

"Thank God, I'm grateful to be able to play again after not competing for quite a while. Our performance was quite solid today," said Felisha.

Although they played dominantly, Felisha admitted she was mentally affected when their opponents began to catch up in the second game. She recalled a previous narrow defeat that briefly crossed her mind.

"There was a bit of anxiety because we had previously lost by a narrow margin. When they started to catch up, I ended up taking risky shots as a gamble. Fortunately, I was able to regain focus quickly," she added.

Her partner, Jafar, said that the slower shuttlecock compared to their previous tournament at the Singapore Open was a key factor in adjusting their playing strategy.

"We played almost the same as in Singapore, but the shuttle here is slower. So even in defense, it felt more comfortable, and we could vary our attacks more," Jafar explained.

However, he admitted feeling nervous when their 20-10 lead in the second game was nearly overtaken, narrowing to 20-17.

"Of course, there was some panic. In that kind of situation, the opponent has nothing to lose and plays more boldly. But we managed to close it out well," he said.

With this result, Jafar/Felisha are among Indonesia's hopefuls in the mixed doubles sector to progress further in the Super 750 tournament.

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