Jakarta. The Indonesian women’s badminton team advanced to the semifinals of the Uber Cup with a convincing 3-0 victory over the formidable Thai team on Friday.

Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo secured Indonesia’s triumph with a heroic performance, rallying back from a game down to defeat Supanida Katethong 19-21, 21-19, 21-19 at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium in Chengdu, China.

Ranked 38th in the world, Ester refused to concede defeat even as her stamina dwindled sharply in the third game against her opponent, who is the world number 11. Her teammates rallied behind her, urging her to persevere, and she eventually managed to overcome exhaustion, clinching victory after 1 hour and 23 minutes of fiercely contested play across three close games.

The pivotal moment in Indonesia’s victory came in the opening match of the quarterfinals. Gregoria Mariska Tunjung achieved a breakthrough with a 22-20, 21-18 win over Ratchanok Intanon, whom she had never defeated in their previous eight encounters.

In the second match, the duo of Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti encountered no significant hurdles as they defeated the Thai pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai with scores of 21-17, 21-14.