Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje will fly the European flag in Sunday’s Indonesia Open finals after another composed comeback performance on semifinals day in Jakarta.
The Danish pair, already enjoying one of the strongest runs of their careers, fought back from a game down to defeat France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, the reigning champions, 18-21, 21-13, 21-15 in the mixed doubles semifinals.
It sends Christiansen and Bøje into a third final in four weeks and a sixth final of the year, underlining the remarkable consistency they have found in 2026. Since becoming European champions in April, the Danes have continued to build momentum across the World Tour, combining their familiar front-court pressure and rotation with a calmer edge in the big moments.
Against Gicquel and Delrue, they were made to work for it. The French pair took the opening game and once again showed why they remain one of Europe’s most dangerous mixed doubles combinations, but Christiansen and Bøje gradually found their rhythm. Once the Danes started to control the mid-court exchanges and create more attacking opportunities for Bøje at the net, the match began to tilt their way.
They will face China’s Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi in Sunday’s final, with the chance to add a Super 1000 title to what is becoming an outstanding season.
An produces astonishing comeback
The most dramatic moment in Jakarta came in women’s singles, where An Se Young produced one of the great escapes against Chen Yu Fei.
The Korean world number one defeated the Olympic champion 21-17, 19-21, 23-21 after saving four match points in a remarkable deciding game. Chen led 17-7 in the third and later 20-16, but An somehow found a way back, turning a near-certain defeat into another statement victory.
It was a match that carried all the weight expected from one of badminton’s defining rivalries. Chen had done so much right for long periods, using her control and patience to stretch An and build a commanding lead in the decider. But An’s greatest quality remains her refusal to disappear from a contest. Even when the scoreboard looked almost impossible, she kept rallies alive, reduced the errors, and forced Chen to keep winning the match.
The reward is another final against Akane Yamaguchi, renewing one of the sport’s most familiar top-level match-ups. An is also attempting to retain her Indonesia Open title, and after the way she survived the semifinal, she will arrive in the final with both belief and momentum. An leads 18-15 in the head to head, but Yamaguchi looked like she was on to something in last week's final.
Christie keeps Indonesian hopes alive
For the home crowd, Jonatan Christie gave Istora Senayan the result it wanted.
The Indonesian overcame Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 16-21, 21-10, 21-12 to reach the men’s singles final, recovering strongly after dropping the opening game. Teeraratsakul’s power and direct attacking game caused problems early on, but Christie settled into the match and began to impose his rally quality, movement and defence.
The significance is clear. Christie is now one win away from becoming the first Indonesian men’s singles champion at the Indonesia Open since Simon Santoso in 2012. Anthony Sinisuka Ginting came close in 2023, reaching the final before losing to Viktor Axelsen, but the wait for a home men’s singles winner continued.
Christie will now try to end that long gap in front of a home crowd that will expect, hope and roar behind every point.
Waiting for him is one of the stories of the tournament. Canada’s Victor Lai reached his first Super 1000 final at just 21 years old, holding off 2019 Indonesia Open champion Chou Tien Chen in the other semifinal. A first for Pan Am. Lai’s run has given the men’s singles draw a fresh storyline, and Sunday’s final now brings together a home favourite chasing history and a young Canadian playing the biggest match of his career.
Indonesia-Malaysia men’s doubles final confirmed
The men’s doubles final will be an Indonesia-Malaysia clash after two very different but equally significant semifinal wins.
Indonesia’s Indra/Joaquin defeated compatriots Gutama/Isfahani in straight games, ending the run of last year’s beaten finalists and ensuring home representation in the final. For the Indonesian crowd, it gives Sunday another major title opportunity on a day already shaped by Christie’s men’s singles run.
On the other side of the draw, Malaysia’s Izzuddin/Goh produced one of the results of the day by beating world number ones and reigning champions Seo Seung Jae/Kim Won Ho in three high-tempo games. The Malaysians matched the Koreans in the flat exchanges and found enough attacking quality in the key phases to earn a major final appearance.
It sets up a final with plenty of atmosphere, history and regional rivalry attached.
