Oceania’s finest made their presence felt on the opening day of the SATHIO GROUP Australian Open. From new pairings finding their footing to old partners reuniting under the tournament lights, Day 1 delivered heartbreak, excitement, and no shortage of passion.
Morning Session — Qualification
The morning opened with an all-too-familiar battle: Oceania Women’s Singles Champion Shaunna Li (NZL) against Oceania Junior Women’s Singles Champion Faye Huo (AUS). Li was clinical from the first shuttle, controlling the tempo and leaving Huo little room to breathe. In just 25 minutes, Li had booked her place in tomorrow’s round of 32.
Priska Kustiadi/Maureen Wijaya (AUS) were equally dominant, dismantling compatriots Helen Chan/Shixin Han 21-8, 21-12 to advance to the women’s doubles main draw. San Tanvi Mushini/Ava Wong (AUS) also progressed, winning their qualification match to continue in the competition.
Huo didn’t stay off the court for long. Returning alongside Jesslyn Carrisia, the young Australian pair picked up where Huo’s morning left off, defeating Jesamine Donald/Kanon Mori (AUS) 21-14, 21-14 to secure their own spot in tomorrow’s round of 32.
“It’s a really good opportunity for us to get international exposure because we don’t get that often, it’s good to see world class players,” said Huo. “Tomorrow, our opponents will be very strong. Hopefully, we will be able to attack more and not just defend.”
The men’s singles qualification brought a tougher morning for New Zealand’s Edward Lau. Facing Riki Takei (JPN), Lau battled valiantly — clawing back deficits that threatened to blow the match open — but the Japanese player’s consistency proved too much. Lau fell 21-17, 21-16.
The men’s doubles qualification featured a string of all-Australian contests. Forrest Huang/Minh Trung Faris Truong announced themselves with a powerful victory over Adam Dolman/Pit Seng Low, while Andika Ramadiansyah/Frederick Zhao’s blend of power and precision saw off Jie Ying Chan/Ting Yuan Kuo 21-10, 21-11. Rising teenagers Rishi Boopathy/Aneesh Nirmal pushed the more experienced Jordan Wang/Chauncey Yu all the way before narrowly falling 21-17, 21-17 — a performance that will have turned a few heads. Roshan Rajkumar and his partner Steven Stallwood (ENG) rounded out the qualifiers, defeating Rio Agustino/Timotius Elbert to advance.
In the mixed doubles, four Australian-based pairs punched their tickets to the main draw: Rizky Hidayat/Laudya Chelsea Griselda (AUS), Minh Trung Faris Truong/Jesamine Donald, Michael Owen/Gronya Somerville (AUS), and Landon Kurniawan (AUS)/Jasmine Yeung (USA).
Not all the morning drama belonged to Oceania. Lee Zii Jia (MAS), Olympic bronze medallist at Paris 2024, needed every ounce of his considerable experience to navigate qualification. He edged Ogawa Shogo (JPN) in a tense 24-22, 22-20 opener, then survived a scare against Riki Takei — dropping the first game before steadying to win 15-21, 21-17, 21-16. Lee is through, but he’s already been tested.
Afternoon Session — Doubles Round of 32
The afternoon session raised the stakes, and the court responded in kind.
Trans-Tasman duo Michael Owen (AUS) and Dylan Soedjasa (NZL) stamped their arrival with an emphatic 21-18, 21-11 dismantling of Chinese Taipei’s Su Ching Heng/Tang Kai Wei. Leading from the very first point, the new partnership looked assured; a pair to watch as the draw opens up.
Kanki Igawa/Ooi Yi Hern (AUS) turned heads with arguably the upset of the day, toppling a pair ranked nearly 200 places above them in the world rankings. Doddavarapu Achutaditya Rao/Arjun Reddy Pochana (IND) were sent packing 21-15, 21-15 in a gutsy, composed display from the Australians.
Australian sisters Sydney and Victoria Tjonadi stepped onto the court against the tournament’s top seeds—World No. 4 Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian—and gave them more than they bargained for. The scoreline doesn’t tell the full story.
“It was a great experience to play against the top seed of the tournament,” said Sydney. “It was a good match for us to see what we need to improve on. After this, we’ll talk to our coaches about what we did well and what we need to work on.”
The day’s most difficult moment came in the women’s doubles, where Setyana Mapasa/Angela Yu (AUS) were forced to retire mid-match. In their first outing as a pair since 2024, Mapasa suffered an injury in the second game against Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova/Yevheniia Kantemyr and was unable to continue. The badminton community will be hoping for a swift and full recovery. Badminton Oceania wishes Setyana all the best.
