Huang and Zheng on the podium after winning for the third year in a row in 2020.
Smashing Stats: Indonesia Masters 2024
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
TEXT BY PREM KUMAR | BADMINTONPHOTO
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First held in 2010 in East Kalimantan, the Indonesia Masters has been a Super 500 event on the HSBC BWF World Tour except for the COVID-affected 2021 season when it was promoted to a 750.
Here are more interesting facts about it.
Indonesians have dominated the tournament since its inception.
They have taken 43 per cent of the winners’ medals – 28 out of 65 – across 13 editions.
The host country is also the only one to have contested at least one final during that period.
In fact, 2021 remains the sole year they did not top the podium in any category.
However, their longest wait is in women’s singles, with Adrianti Firdasari’s victory in 2014 their solitary crown in the discipline. Fifth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung carries their hope this season.
In men’s doubles, they have been almost untouchable – failing to triumph just twice (2012, 2021) although they were runners-up on both occasions.
Korea and Japan are the other nations to hold a title in the category.
Similarly, no more than three countries have aced mixed doubles – Indonesia, China and Thailand.
Denmark are the only non-Asian nation to be victorious, winning two titles in men’s singles, in which eighth-seeded 2019 champion Anders Antonsen is a favourite.
Antonsen possesses a good record at the tournament – he made the final at three of the last five editions.
If successful, Jonatan Christie will become the first singles player to retain his trophy.