Head Women's Doubles Coach of the Indonesian Badminton Association , Karel Mainaky, assessed that the Indonesian women's doubles sector has begun to show a positive trend throughout the 2026 Polytron Indonesia Open.
Karel said the development was evident in Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum's success in reaching the semifinals of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament, as well as two other pairs reaching the quarterfinals.
"I've seen the kids make progress, little by little. They've performed quite well in this tournament. They seem more confident, as they usually overestimate their opponents. I'm trying to get them to ignore their opponents. Before we lose, let's fight," Karel said in an official statement on Sunday.
Rachel/Febi became the best-performing Indonesian women's doubles pair at the 2026 Indonesia Open, reaching the semifinals. Their progress was halted after losing to world number one Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning of China, 17-21, 16-21.
Karel said Rachel/Febi actually had a chance to put up a strong fight. However, the pair, who have only been together for nine months, still need to mature their game, especially when facing the world's elite pairs.
"Today's result is actually a shame. Rachel/Febi actually had a chance; they tried to control the game. However, there were a few things that made them hesitate," said Karel.
Nevertheless, Karel remains grateful for Rachel/Febi's achievement, as the Super 1000 semifinals are a significant achievement for the young pair. He believes Rachel/Febi still need more experience facing top-tier opponents to be more consistent in crucial stages.
