Indonesia’s men’s doubles pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri successfully defended their China Open title after defeating the top-seeded South Korean duo Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae 16-21, 21-19, 21-19 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
The second-seeded Indonesians battled for more than an hour to secure back-to-back titles at the BWF Super 1000 tournament.
They became the fourth Indonesian men’s doubles pair to successfully defend the China Open title, following Sigit Budiarto–Candra Wijaya (2004–2005), Markis Kido–Hendra Setiawan (2006–2007), and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon–Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (2016–2017).
The victory also extended Fajar and Fikri’s positive record against the world No. 1 pair.
Just a week earlier, the Indonesian duo claimed their first title of 2026 by winning the Japan Open, where they also defeated Kim and Seo in the final.
Fajar expressed his gratitude for once again finishing the tournament with the best possible result.
In addition to successfully defending their China Open title, the victory completed an impressive run of two consecutive tournament titles.
“Alhamdulillah, we were once again blessed with a smooth journey and the best possible result in this tournament. Thank you to everyone who has always supported us. This was not an easy match because we were up against the world’s number one pair, who gave everything they had. Unlike last week, they tried many different tactical variations this time. Meanwhile, we were actually physically drained after two very demanding weeks. Even so, we kept fighting and searching for ways to win the match,” Fajar said.
Fajar hopes that winning back-to-back titles will serve as a turning point for Indonesia’s men’s doubles sector.
The pair viewed their failure to meet public expectations at the 2026 Indonesia Open as motivation to bounce back and prove their quality on the world stage.
After securing the two titles, Fajar and Fikri immediately shifted their focus to the BWF World Championships.
“Once we return to Indonesia, we will immediately begin intensive preparations. The World Championships are just around the corner, so we have to start preparing from scratch again to ensure we perform at our best,” Fikri said.
The final was played at a high tempo from the very beginning.
The first and second games were fiercely contested, while the match reached its climax in the deciding third game.
Fajar and Fikri found themselves trailing several times, but the Indonesian pair demonstrated championship composure by turning the match around with a series of consecutive points to take the lead.
After leading 18-15, the South Korean pair fought back to level the score at 19-19.
However, the pressure did not shake Fajar and Fikri’s concentration.
The decisive moment came when Fikri’s flat smash forced Seo into a return that sailed wide of the court, sealing the championship for the Indonesian duo.***
