Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin Learn Valuable Lessons from All England Semi-final
Indonesia’s doubles duo Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin reached the semi-finals of All England 2026 before being defeated by world champions and world No.1 Kim Won-ho / Seo Seung-jae in Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on Sunday, 8 March. The Indonesian pair were beaten 19-21, 13-21 in the semi-final. The players described the match as a valuable experience, given it was their first appearance at a Super 1000 event and allowed them to test their game against experienced top opponents.
‘Praise be to God the match went smoothly even though we did not win. In the first game we led, but our concentration dropped and the opponents could turn it around. They have a strength in being able to perform consistently, especially at the crucial points,’ said Raymond.
‘This All England experience is extremely valuable for us. From the early rounds we did not face easy opponents; everyone was at Super 1000 level. The higher the level, the tougher it gets,’ he added.
The match was tight, particularly in the first game. Raymond/Joaquin applied pressure with fast play and briefly led the score, but the world No.1 seeds performed more steadily in the decisive moments.
In the second game, the duel started tightly but Kim/Seo controlled the tempo and maintained the scoring gap to seal the victory.
Joaquin acknowledged that the opponents appeared better prepared. Facing the world No.1 provided many lessons. ‘At the outset we both thought we had chances; today we acknowledge the defeat—they were more prepared,’ he said. ‘Playing the world No.1 we learned a lot. Their aura was different even from warm-up. Thank God we managed to challenge them. Kim/Seo’s consistency is truly steady from start to finish. We will try to emulate them to improve in the future.’
Although they did not reach the final, the semi-final run is a confidence booster for the young Indonesian pair ahead of their next tournament. ‘This will make us more confident going forward. It should not be a burden; we want to enjoy it. And we hope for support from the Indonesian people so we can continue to develop and achieve,’ concluded Joaquin.