India Open: Calm Jonatan Christie, superior Se-young define semis

NEW DELHI: Jonatan Christie did not just beat Loh Kean Yew, he out-thought him. In a contest decided as much by nerve as by skill, the Indonesian mixed patience with precision and ice-cold temperament to derail the in-form former world champion and storm into the men’s singles final of the India Open Super 750 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.

While Christie produced a masterclass in tactical control, world number one An Se-young delivered another ruthless display of dominance to set up a blockbuster women’s singles final against China’s Wang Zhi Yi.




Third seed Christie came through a high-voltage semifinal against Singapore’s Loh 21-18, 22-20 in 46 minutes, showing why he remains one of the sport’s most intelligent match-managers under pressure.

Loh arrived brimming with confidence and exploded out of the blocks. The Singaporean rushed the net to race to an 11-5 lead in the opening game. Christie was under siege, forced deep and hurried into defence. But the Indonesian refused to panic.

Instead, he subtly changed the script. Christie slowed the tempo, drew Loh into longer exchanges and used his defensive wall to sap the Singaporean’s attacking rhythm. Point by point, error by error, Loh’s early control slipped away.

Christie reeled off six consecutive points to level at 15-15, suddenly transforming the contest. With the game back on his terms, he shifted gears again, feathering tight net shots, then pouncing with sharp down-the-line smashes. The Indonesian closed out the opening game 21-18.

The second game followed a similar pattern of psychological tug-of-war. Loh briefly lost focus and sprayed a few smashes wide, allowing Christie to edge ahead. But the Singaporean regrouped, rediscovered his range and surged to a 17-13 lead, once again threatening to force a decider.

Once more, Christie responded with tactical finesse. He stepped inside the court, took the shuttle early and injected sudden pace into the rallies. The effect was immediate. Loh was pushed onto the back foot, rushed into half-lifts and deprived of time at the net. Christie reeled him in, levelled the score and then held firm in a tense finish to seal the match 22-20. It was Christie’s ninth straight victory over Loh.

“In the second game when Loh started to come back, I held my nerves and adapted better,” Christie said, summing up a performance built on composure as much as class.

While Christie fought a tactical battle, Korean world No. 1 An Se-young was in no mood for extended drama as she dismantled former champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-11, 21-7 in a semifinal that underlined her grip over women’s singles.

In the other semifinal, China’s Wang Zhi Yi had to work harder, surviving a tense duel against compatriot Chen Yu Fei 21-15, 23-21 to book her place in the final.





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