This is my second time watching Indonesia Open Super Series Premier live in Istora Senayan. Previously I watched it in 2013, I skipped 2014 since it was on Jakarta's birthday (which is full of parade and carnaval) plus the Electro Run was held around Istora too. Thank God, this year, even though the Electro Run was held in the same date but totally different places. So, to Istora we go!

I bought the First Class Semifinal Ticket online; I am still surprised of how internet has made (almost) everything easier! We decided to watch the semifinal (not the final nor the quarter-finals) because we have a job now (quarter-finals is on Friday) and we are not sure whether Indonesia would make it to the finale. 

I am not being harsh here, but the badminton world is really competitive nowadays and too bad Indonesian players are still inconsistent. I am not talking about the Chinese domination, since the players from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and (don't forget) Spain are great as well. Japan won the Thomas Cup, Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand + Saina Nehwal from India + Carolina Marin from Spain tore up the domination of Chinese players in Women Single number. Anyway I always love the competition in Mix Doubles number, the Fantastic Four couples: Zhang Nan - Zhao Yunlei (China), Tontowi Ahmad - Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia), Joachim Fischer-Nielsen - Christina Pedersen (Denmark), and Xu Chen - Ma Jin (China). To be honest, whenever I watch a match among them, I do not care who wins as long they give a world class level game. 

Back to the Indonesia Open, we arrived there few minutes before 10 AM. I repeat, 10 AM. Usually the semifinal starts on 1 PM (two courts), but this year they only use one court and that's why it began on 10 AM. It started with all Chinese semifinals in Women Doubles number; which was obviously pretty boring... Then Men Doubles number, all Korean semifinals... Lee Yong Dae is still Istora's sweetheart, cheers for him were like almost everywhere! But I think he started to lose his charms, the chants weren't as huge as the last two or three years. The all Korean semifinal was not boring like Chinese's, too bad Lee Yong Dae lost.

10 AM. The crowd weren't that big (yet)!

We did not even get out from the venue in break time. We were afraid we lost our seat (because there was no seat number since we basically sit on a bench). And then the dream Mix Doubles semifinal happened, this time is between Zhang/Zhao vs Ahmad/Natsir. Istora's crowd were already very indimidating; or maybe too intimidating for Indonesian players themselves since they made many unforced errors! Which then resulting to the loss for Indonesia in their home town. Geez. They had a hat-trick at All England but none at Indonesia Open. :)) 

Ah, when we were watching this very sacred and special game, bad thing just happened. A bunch of supporters just came and then passed through the our bench. Yo dude, we want to watch the game not your ass! The committee was not helping either since they were the one who told the supporters to pass our bench. I even had to confront them, along with some fans which wanted to watch the game with no disturbances.

We stayed until around 7 PM. We decided to skip another legendary Mix Doubles number between the Chinese and the Danish since it was already late. We went out right after the Men Doubles number, Ahsan/Setiawan lost to Zhang/Fu. That day, it was only Polii/Maheswari who made it to the finale in Women Doubles.


A selfie we were supposed to take in the morning, but he refused because we were already late. Therefore I forced him to take it before we went home. Amazing frame, eh? We use Fotoku app, you can download it here.