Jakarta. Indonesia is assured of a place in the men's doubles final at the Indonesia Open 2026 after the pair of Sabar Karyaman Gutama and M. Reza Pahlevi Isfahani advanced to the semifinals with a straight-games victory on Friday.

Playing before a packed home crowd at Jakarta's iconic Istora Senayan, Sabar and Reza defeated China's Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-15, 21-15 to book their place in the last four.

The victory also served as revenge for the Indonesian duo, who lost to Chen and Liu at the 2025 Badminton Asia Championships, leveling their head-to-head record at one win apiece.

"The support inside Istora was incredible. It gave us extra confidence and motivation throughout the match," Reza said after the win.

Sabar credited the pair's success to careful preparation and tactics devised with coach and former world champion Hendra Setiawan.

"Thankfully, we were able to execute the coach's instructions well and stay consistent from the beginning until the end of the match," he said.

Indonesia's place in Sunday's final is now guaranteed because Sabar and Reza will face fellow Indonesians Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin in the semifinals.

Raymond and Joaquin secured their berth after battling past Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in three games, 16-21, 24-22, 21-18.

Despite being the more experienced pair, Reza said they would not underestimate their younger compatriots, who have impressed throughout the tournament.

"Raymond and Joaquin play with great speed and are full of confidence at the moment. We have to anticipate that and produce our best performance," he said.

Sabar added that maintaining focus would be crucial against the fast-rising duo.

"We have to keep reminding each other to stay concentrated because they play at a very high pace. Even a slight lapse can change the course of the match," he said.

The all-Indonesian semifinal ensures the host nation will have at least one representative competing for the men's doubles title at one of badminton's most prestigious tournaments.

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