Indonesian badminton player Jonatan Christie. (Photo : Getty Images)
Indonesian teenager Jonatan Christie pulled off a stunning straight sets upset victory over world no. 3 Lin Dan of China, 21-12, 21-12, in the second round of the 2016 Indonesia Open held at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday.
Currently ranked 19th in the world, the 18-year-old Christie surprisingly dominated the match against his multi-awarded opponent, something which surprised the two-time Olympic gold medal winner himself.
The Jakarta native was evidently ecstatic about his latest win as he admitted that the 32-year-old Chinese star is his "idol". He acknowledged his hometown fans after the match, saying that they are his constant motivation.
"I thank all the amazing supporters. They succeeded in boosting my stamina throughout the match so I didn't feel tired," he said, as per the Jakarta Post.
Christie then disclosed his strategy against the five-time World Champion, which is to play at a faster pace and draw energy from the crowd. The plan proved to be effective for this year's Asian Championships gold medalist.
The report noted that his "speed helped him to overcome Lin Dan", while the world no. 3 was repeatedly frustrated by the jeers of the audience.
Inside the Games indicated that Christie's shock toppling of Lin came in just 35 minutes.
The Indonesian youngster is set to face veteran Danish shuttler Jan Ø. Jørgensen, currently ranked fifth in the world, in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Lin's compatriot, world no. 6 Tian Houwei, turned back the challenge of Marc Zwiebler in his own second round match.
The 32-year-old German took the first set, 17-21, and looked for an upset, but the Fujian, China native bounced back in the next two sets, 21-11 and 21-13, to take the match and advance in the final eight.
Tian is set to meet 13th-ranked Hu Yun of Hong Kong in the quarters. Hu defeated Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro in a hard-fought second round affair, 21-12, 15-21, and 21-16, to gain the right to face Tian.
Kuncoro, who advanced in the main draw via the qualifiers route, had a walkover in the first round as his supposed opponent, world no. 1 Chen Long of China, withdrew due to a back injury.
