JAKARTA – Men’s singles badminton player Jonatan Christie was surprisingly eliminated in the quarter finals of the 2026 Malaysia Masters. He returned home from the tournament after losing to non-elite player Hu Zhe An from China.
Jonatan had to bury his dream of getting on the podium at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, after failing to defend the first game advantage in a 71-minute match that ended with a score of 21-14, 13-21, and 16-21 on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Jonatan dominated the first game after starting well and immediately took a 6-0 lead. He then managed to maintain a six-point lead with the 19-year-old youth shuttlecock at the interval.
After that, Hu’s struggle to cut the point gap bore fruit. He briefly brought the score to 11-13, but Jonatan managed to get out of the pressure and closed the first game with a seven-point difference.
In the second game, the situation turned around even though the chase for numbers had occurred at the beginning. Hu who took the first point quickly led 4-2, but Jonatan immediately managed to rise and tie the score to 5-5.
Hu who appeared determined again got two points after that to stay ahead. He then managed to continue his slick performance with a four-point lead at the interval and continued to lead the match to ensure the match continued to the third game.
In the deciding game, Jonatan actually gave hope. The duel was close from the start with both players alternating to steal points until the score was tied 7-7. However, the momentum slowly slipped from the hands of the Indonesian representative after several mistakes of his own made Hu Zhe An go 11-7 during the interval.
After the break, Jonatan did not give up. He briefly cut the distance to 11-12 and returned to the position of 14-15. Unfortunately, Hu’s calmness in playing crucial points made Jonatan fail to turn the tide.
The result also showed that Hu was not an ordinary opponent. Before defeating Jonatan, he had previously eliminated the French favorite, Alex Lanier, in the second round.
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