Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, the Indonesian men’s doubles pair, secured a victory over the Chinese pair Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi in the first round of the 2025 BWF World Tour Super 1000 All England. The match took place at Utilita Arena Birmingham, England, with Fajar/Rian winning in three games with a score of 21-17, 15-21, 21-17. This victory served as payback for their previous defeat against the same opponents at the China Masters in 2023. Despite the win, Fajar/Rian admitted that they were not entirely satisfied with their performance, especially in the second game when their opponents changed their strategy to a counter-attack defensive style.
Looking ahead to the next round, Fajar/Rian are set to face either the South Korean pair Kang Min Hyuk/Ki Dong Ju or the Malaysian pair Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub Azriyn/Wee Kiong Tan. The Indonesian duo are aiming for a hat trick of titles after winning the All England championship in the past two editions. In 2023, they defeated their seniors Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan, and in 2024, they successfully defended their title against the Malaysian pair Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik. The duo expressed their determination to continue their winning streak in this year’s tournament as well.
