ALL ENGLAND 2016 R32 – Big upset hits Asian Games gold medallists

Indonesian stars, Greysia Polii and Nitya Maheswari Krishinda were sent packing early as they lost to Japan’s Naoko Fukuman/Kurumi Yonao in the first round of the All England 2016.

By Naomi Indartiningrum, live from Birmingham. Photos: Badmintonphoto (live)

For 70 minutes, Greysia Polii and Nitya Maheswari Krishinda (photo)  tried hard, but could not perform at their best and unfortunately lost two straight games 18-21, 21-23.

“They played better than us today,” said Polii.

“Their defense was stronger this time. We couldn’t beat them because of that,” added her partner.

The world #2 could not hide their disappointment  after this loss – the first one against Kurumi Yonao and Naoko Fukuman (photo). However, they hope they will learn from their mistakes for future matches.

“On court, we should have managed the shuttlecock better and not rushed to finish the rally because it’s also difficult for them to score. For the next time, we should be more patient and not rush in to finish every rally,” said Maheswari.

On the other hand, their team-mates, Anggia Shitta Awanda / Ni Ketut Mahadewi secured their spot  in round two.  The world #32 Indonesians went through after beating European Games gold medallists Gabriela Stoeva / Stefani Stoeva from Bulgaria, 21-23, 21-18 and 21-15.

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