jpnn.com, BALI - Indonesian men's doubles badminton players Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, a.k.a. The Minions, have failed to win the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals, losing to Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.
The Minions were defeated by a score of 21-16, 13-21, and 21-17 in a 61-minute competition at the Bali International Convention Centre in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, Sunday (5/12).
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In the decisive game, Kevin and Marcus stole the advantage with a score of 15-14 in the 56th minute after previously trailing 0-6.
However, this encouraging condition did not last long for the number one pair.
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Due to a return error from the Indonesian team, Hoki and Kobayashi stole the opportunity to turn things around to 16-17.
The Japanese pair continued to maintain consistency in their attacks.
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The match ended with a score of 21-17 for the victory of the world's sixth-ranked pair.
After the match, The Minions admitted that they were so tired that they couldn't play well.
"Honestly, we were very tired. The body aches all over. We just kept fighting until the end," said Marcus.
The fatigue experienced by the pair was accumulated after a long and busy schedule of matches since October on their European tour.
It is recorded that Kevin and Marcus have undergone eight matches in a row, starting from the Sudirman Cup, the Thomas Cup, the Denmark Open, the French Open, and the Hylo Open.
Then, they continued with the Indonesia Masters, the Indonesia Open, and finally the BWF World Tour Finals, all of which made the Indonesia Badminton Festival (IBF).
Of the eight tournaments, the Minions played six finals.
"Of course we are very grateful to be able to play in the six finals, three of which were here [in Indonesia]. For us, this is more than enough, and we are very grateful for this achievement," said Kevin. (antara/lia/mcr20/jpnn)
This news has been broadcast on JPNN.com with the title: Hoki/Kobayashi Tekuk Kevin/Marcus di Final WTF 2021, Minions: Kami Lelah Luar Biasa