Indonesia Open: Home Pressure or Home Advantage for Ahmad/Natsir?

2015-06-01

VICTOR’s Liliyana Natsir was the winner with Nova Widianto in the Indonesia Open back in 2005. However, after 2007 since the Superseries was introduced, the Queen of Mixed Doubles has never made it to the top here again. This week, she’s got just another chance alongside Tontowi Ahmad.
 
 
Liliyana Natsir
Can Liliyana finally win on home soil?
 
Natsir was consistently one of the best contenders in the Superseries Premier event out there over the years, but the home pressure seemed to always appear in the way for the three-time world champion rather than home court advantage. Their quest this year will have a tough opening against the Hong Kong pair also from Team VICTOR, Lee Reginald Chun Hei and Chau Hoi Wah, who just got the better of them in the semifinal and eventually won in the Australian Open last week. Last year, she and Tontowi Ahmad were ousted in the semifinals from up the first game by Xu/Ma.
 
 
Looking to defend the title in the men’s doubles are VICTOR’s Korean stars Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong, who were in the middle of a three-Superseries-win stretch last year here in Jakarta.
 
Liliyana Natsir
2013 World Champs & 2015 Asian Champs Liliyana Natsir (R) and Tontowi Ahmad
 
Tontowi Ahmad, Liliyana Natsir
 
Tontowi Ahmad
 
 
Lee Chun Hei, Chau Hoi Wah
2015 Australian Open Superseries winners - Lee Reginald Chun Hei (L) and Chau Hoi Wah
 
Lee Chun Hei, Chau Hoi Wah
 
Lee Chun Hei, Chau Hoi Wah
 
Lee Yong Dae
Defending champion Lee Yong Dae (w/Yoo Yeon Seong)
 
Yoo Yeon Seong
Defending champion Yoo Yeon Seong (w/Lee Yong Dae)
 
Lee Yong Dae
 
Lee Sheng Mu, 李勝木
Lee Sheng Mu of Chinese Taipei is also a former champion in Jakarta.
 
Goh V Shem
Malaysia's fast-rising Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong
 
Ashwini, Jwala Gutta
India's Ashwini Ponnappa steadily moving back up in the rankings, now inside top-20. Her best was no.13.
 

The Real Deal

VICTOR is inviting you to join us in tracking and examining the best results from Team VICTOR players and cheering for them along the way to the Summer Olympics.
 
Starting from Sudirman Cup in May, 2015, in a 52-week process, players will be giving all out to fight for their Olympic dream and to collect the ranking points on the BWF World Tour for the final qualification. In our #TheReaDeal on-line campaign, we’ll be taking a look at the names which are going to make a “Rio” threat as we count down to the badminton event of the world sport gala.
 
The Real Deal, Olympic Games Badminton

 
( Edit by VICTOR Badminton )