Indonesian mixed doubles pair Amri Syahnawi/Nita Violina Marwah advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Hylo Open badminton tournament after defeating fellow Indonesians Dejan Ferdinansyah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu with a score of 21-18, 22-20.
Amri said mental strength and determination to win the match were important factors in the victory in the round of 16 at the Saarlandhalle, Saarbrucken, Germany.
"Thank God, I'm grateful to have finished the match with a win and without any injuries. Today was quite good. I think we both had a better atmosphere on the pitch than our opponents," said Amri.
"Dejan/Felis played quite well and didn't seem to be under any pressure, but in terms of our desire to win, we were both superior," he continued.
The fifth-seeded pair faced stiff resistance from Dejan/Felisha from the first game, but managed to maintain their lead on key points to win 21-18.
The competition became even fiercer in the second game when Dejan/Felisha put pressure on Amri/Nita, forcing them to work hard to turn things around.
Despite being behind for a while, Amri/Nita were able to maintain their focus and finish the match with a 22-20 victory.
Nita said the key to their success in the second game was to keep fighting to get point after point even though they were in a losing position.
Meanwhile, Amri admitted that he preferred to focus on his own game rather than thinking too much about his opponent's strategy, considering that both partners already understand each other's playing characteristics.
"Our anticipation is perhaps to not focus on them. We're anticipating that the two of us will continue to try to play normally, because we both know each other on the field," said Amri.
Despite winning two straight games, Nita believes there are still several aspects of the game that need to be improved ahead of the quarterfinals.
"Today's evaluation must be bolder in moving forward and introduce more variations," said Nita.
Ahead of the quarter-finals, Amri/Nita will prioritize physical recovery, maintaining diet and sleep patterns, and studying match recordings of their potential opponents to develop a strategy.
"Ahead of the quarterfinals, for now, we're focusing on recovery and maintaining our focus," said Nita.
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