Kiran George collected one of the biggest wins on Day 3 of the DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2024, reaching the quarterfinals after seeing off Lu Guang Zu 21-11 13-21 21-18.

Coming from the qualifying round, the Indian defeated Shesar Hiren Rhustavito and Alex Lanier enroute to the main draw, surpassing his own goals. George then ousted Toma Junior Popov 18-21 21-16 21-19 in his opener.

“The goal was to get into the main draw and here I am in the quarterfinals,” George smiled post match.

“In the second game I was having difficulty after changing ends. Lu likes long rallies but I believed in my fitness, and although I’ve had a lot of long matches, I still felt fresh.”

George faces reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn next.

“I’m excited. I’m the underdog and can play freely. The pressure is on him. I’m looking forward to playing in front of the crowd in Jakarta. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s wild.”

Pharanyu Kaosamaang/Worrapol Thongsa-nga dealt Olympic champions Lee Yang/Wang Chi-lin a blow, outclassing the Chinese Taipei shuttlers 21-19 22-20.

“We studied their matches on YouTube last night. Wang has a big smash, we needed to keep the shuttles low, force them to lift and try to play in the front court as much as possible,” said Thongsa-nga.

“This would rank very high on our list of achievements. To play the Olympic champions is a dream and to win, it’s a great feeling.”

→ Results (Day 3)

→ Order of play (Day 4)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“When I was holding match point, I didn’t think about winning. After every point I get, I reset myself to love-all. That really works for me.” – Ratchanok Intanon on how she stays composed

“They came out so fast in the second game I was caught a little off guard but managed to adjust. The drift was difficult to control and I’m happy we could turn it around.” – Huang Ya Qiong all praise for opponents Terry Hee/Jessica Tan after their 21-12 16-21 21-19 win

“It was hard to play against my teammate. She couldn’t get her game going and made a few mistakes. I will talk to her on how to stay calm and composed in these kinds of occasions.” – Gregoria Mariska Tunjung looks to use her experience to help younger compatriot Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo

“To play the Indonesians at home was a thrilling experience. We were nervous and that’s natural. We’ve heard stories about the legendary Istora and we are happy we got the chance to play here.” – Xie Hao Nan after he and Zeng Wei Han lost to home hopes Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin 21-16 21-17