May 22, 2026 | 03:35 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian men’s singles shuttler Jonatan Christie was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters 2026 after losing to rising Chinese player Hu Zhe An, a 19-year-old, at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, May 22, 2026.Jonatan, popularly known as Jojo, was beaten in a hard-fought three-game encounter, 21-14, 13-21, 16-21, in a match that lasted 71 minutes.The defeat came as a surprise after the Indonesian player appeared dominant in the opening game. Jonatan started the match convincingly, claiming the first point after Hu made an error at the net before continuing to pressure his opponent with powerful smashes that were difficult to return.The Indonesian shuttler quickly surged to a 5-0 lead and entered the interval ahead 11-5. Although Hu managed to cut the gap to 11-13, Jonatan regained his rhythm and eventually closed the first game 21-14 with a sharp cross-court shot that Hu failed to reach.However, momentum shifted in the second game as Hu began playing far more aggressively. The 19-year-old Chinese player opened a 4-2 lead before Jonatan briefly equalized at 5-5.Hu then took control by winning four straight points to lead 11-7 at the interval.After the break, the pressure from Hu became increasingly difficult for Jonatan to handle. The Chinese youngster widened the gap to 16-9 before Jonatan managed to reduce the deficit to 13-17. However, Hu once again produced a string of consecutive points to secure the second game 21-13 and force a decider.In the deciding game, both players traded points evenly early on until the score reached 7-7. However, a number of unforced errors from Jonatan allowed Hu to move ahead 11-7 at the interval.Jonatan attempted to fight back after the break, narrowing the score to 11-12 and later 14-15. But Hu remained calmer during the crucial rallies and eventually sealed the third game 21-16 to book his place in the semifinals.The result further highlighted Hu Zhe An’s impressive run in the tournament. Earlier, the young Chinese player also knocked out French contender Alex Lanier in the second round.Read: Serie A Final Week: Four Teams Race for Champions League SpotsClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
