Badminton News: Indonesia's rising star shuttler Chico Aura captures Malaysia Masters 

    Indonesian shuttler Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo defeated NG Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong in straight sets at the final of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 event in Kuala Lumpur 

    Indonesia's rising star shuttler Chico Aura Indonesia's rising star shuttler Chico Aura

    World No. 45 Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo outclassed his 28-year-old Hongkonger opponent 22-20, 21-15 to lift the Malaysia Masters Super 500 trophy after 45 minutes of play. It was the most significant career title victory for the 24-year-old Indonesian. NG Ka Long Angus was looking to win his second Malaysia Masters title after previously winning the tournament in 2017. 

    World No. 13 NG Ka Long Angus offered a tough fight to Chico Aura in the first game. Both players were closely matched and exchanged point for point until Chico Aura got a crucial breakthrough in the tiebreak to secure the first game 22-20.

    NG Ka Long Angus tried to regain momentum in the second game until Chico Aura found the cutting edge with several consecutive shot placements to gain a 15-10 lead. He kept mounting pressure on his Hongkonger opponent and soon broke NG Ka Long with an excellent cross-court flick, winning the Malaysia Masters Super 500 title and USD 27,000$ championship prize.

    It was a dream moment for Chico Auro. He only made it to the main draw after the withdrawal of several top players such as Viktor Axelsen and Anders Antonsen.

    Following the victory, Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo said, "I remained focused from start to finish. I think that played a big part. I'm proud of myself, and this victory will be an inspiration for me to aim for more success in the future."

    In the women's event, young South Korean shuttler An Se-young continued with her excellent form to beat Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China 21-17, 21-5 after just 38 minutes of play to win her tenth overall and second World Tour title.

    After receiving the trophy, she said, "I can't believe that I won. I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight. I studied the videos of our previous meetings, and they paid dividends. However, I was not thinking about beating specific opponents. Instead, my focus was on improving every aspect of my game. I think that made the difference this week."

     

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