Sabar/Reza Wary of China's Doubles Speed at Indonesia Open

Indonesian men's doubles pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani have secured their spot in the Round of 16 at the 2026 Indonesia Open. They achieved this by defeating the American duo Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith with a score of 21-19, 13-21, 23-21.

“

We have met them before, so we more or less know their game.

In the next round, Sabar/Reza are set to face Huang Di and Liu Yang from China at Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta. This will be their fourth encounter, with Sabar/Reza having won all three previous matches in straight games throughout 2025.

Reza expressed confidence, stating that he and Sabar are familiar with their opponents' playing styles due to their past meetings. "We have met them before, so we more or less know their game," Reza said after the match on Wednesday night. Despite their positive head-to-head record, Reza acknowledged that the young Chinese pair possesses significant speed and power, which they must anticipate.

“

They are young players, their stamina is strong and their speed is also good. We have to anticipate that.

Sabar admitted that their performance has not been entirely consistent in recent tournaments but considers this normal for athletes. "Performance ups and downs are felt by all athletes. The important thing is that we can enjoy the process and keep trying to improve ourselves," Sabar commented.

“

Performance ups and downs are felt by all athletes. The important thing is that we can enjoy the process and keep trying to improve ourselves.

Regarding their target for this year's Indonesia Open, Sabar/Reza aspire to exceed their achievement from the previous year. However, they are prioritizing a match-by-match approach due to the highly competitive nature of the men's doubles sector. "We certainly want better results than last year. But now the quality of the competing pairs is very even, so we have to focus step by step in each round. Hopefully, what we strive for can bear sweet fruit," Sabar added. Huang/Liu reached this stage by defeating Canada's Ty Alexander Lindeman/Kevin Lee.

“

We certainly want better results than last year. But now the quality of the competing pairs is very even, so we have to focus step by step in each round. Hopefully, what we strive for can bear sweet fruit.