The third day of the prestigious KAPAL API Indonesia Open 2025 has concluded with strong results for European players, in mixed doubles and men’s singles.
Mixed doubles
Both current European champions Amalie Magelund/Jesper Toft and former champions Delphine Delrue/Thom Gicquel delivered confident performances, winning in straight games to book their spots in the quarterfinals. Quick wins like these will give them a valuable energy boost for tomorrow’s challenges.
Delrue/Gicquel will play Indonesia’s Jamil/Maulana, who stunned top seeds Tang/Tse from Hong Kong in the previous round. It will be their first-ever meeting. With a 22-place advantage in the world rankings, the French pair are clear favourites. A win would send them into their first Super 1000 semifinal since finishing runners-up at the VICTOR China Open 2023.
Magelund/Toft are set to take on Malaysian second seeds Toh/Chen. Both pairs are among the world’s top ten and have never met before, making this one of the tournament’s most anticipated matches. With Tang/Tse already out, Toh/Chen are the highest-ranked pair left. But Magelund/Toft, seeded fifth, have proven themselves as serious contenders. Jesper Toft recently ended his men’s doubles partnership with Andreas Søndergaard to focus fully on mixed doubles, adding even more intensity to the Danish duo’s game.
Busch/Vestergaard also competed today but were defeated in straight games by Loh/Chen, who now move on to face Magelund/Toft.
Men’s singles
Europe was well represented in today’s men’s singles action.
Rasmus Gemke faced China’s Wang Zheng Xing in what turned into a two-game battle. After leading for most of the opening game, Gemke was caught at 17-17 and eventually lost 21-19. He never quite found his rhythm in the second, which ended 21-5.
Alex Lanier overcame Loh Kean Yew in three games in their third career meeting. The match followed a familiar pattern, going to a decider just like their two previous encounters. This time, Lanier dominated the final game 21-8, his largest margin of victory over Loh so far. Tomorrow, the Frenchman will play the newly crowned world number one Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who is on a 12-match winning streak after claiming titles at both the Thailand Open and Singapore Open. However, Lanier leads their head-to-head 2-1 and will look to continue that trend on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Anders Antonsen had a tough match against 20-year-old Alwi Farhan. After controlling the first game, Antonsen dropped the second as the Indonesian rode the home crowd’s energy. The third game was tense but the Dane managed to pull ahead and secure it 21-14. He will now meet Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, an opponent he has beaten six out of seven times. Still, Antonsen will be wary of underestimating anyone at this level.
Christo Popov played against Chinese Taipei's Chou Chien Chen. Popov was able to make a staggering comeback in the second, resulting in 21-8 game win. In the final however after playing a good game and itching closer and closer, it was finally Chou Chien Chen who was able to take the win and go on to the quarterfinals.
Men’s doubles
Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen were knocked out by Japan’s Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi. The opening game was a thriller, ending 29-27 in favour of the Japanese, the longest game ever between the two pairs. The second game was more one-sided, with Hoki/Kobayashi winning 21-11.
Rasmus Kjær/Frederik Søgaard came agonisingly close to upsetting Indian stars Rankireddy/Shetty. The Danes led throughout, won the first game, and even held a match point in the decider. But nerves may have played a role, and it was the Indians who kept their composure when it mattered most.
Women’s singles
Kirsty Gilmour faced Wang Zhi Yi for the last match of the day. The Scot gave the young Chinese player a good run for her money, but was defeated in the third.
To watch the full order of play from today’s matches, click here.
