The world number 2 men’s doubles pair, Mohammad Ahsan / Hendra Setiawan, are often separated in the 2022 Thomas Cup events. Currently, Mohammad Ahsan plays with Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo more often than Hendra Setiawan.
Until the quarter-finals of the 2022 Thomas Cup, Ahsan/Kevin have played twice, to be exact against South Korea in the closing match of Group A and against China in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the Ahsan/Hendra pair have only played once, that is, when Indonesia beat Thailand 4-1 in the group phase.
Why did Hendra and Ahsan split up?
The Thomas Cup event is often used by the Indonesian men’s doubles coach, Herry Iman Pierngadi, to try out a pair. Not only Ahsan/Kevin, Herry also paired Kevin with Bagas Maulana earlier. In the previous Thomas Cup 2020, Kevin was also paired by Daniel Martin.
The separation of Hendra and Ahsan cannot be separated from the absence of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon. Marcus Gideon is still undergoing treatment after ankle surgery in Portugal so he did not fly to Thailand with the 2022 Thomas Cup squad. However, Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo was still taken. This is why Kevin doesn’t have a partner. Kevin Sanjaya who is ranked 1 in the world remains a mainstay. Only, paired by other players.
Why Kevin Paired with Ahsan?
According to Herry, Kevin is a playmaker. Hence, he is suitable to be paired by a player with the character of a “smacking”. In this case, the killer-type character is owned by Bagas Maulana, Mohammad Ahsan, and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the 2022 Thomas Cup squad.
Previously, Ahsan/Kevin was revealed as the first doubles when Indonesia met South Korea in the final match of Group A. However, in that match Ahsan/Kevin lost to South Korean men’s doubles, Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-jae.
This time, Herry Iman Pierngadi said that Ahsan/Kevin performed better in the match against China. “Kevin/Ahsan’s game is much better than yesterday. It’s not rushed. It’s calmer and more comfortable to play,” said Herry IP.
Kevin Sanjaya also admitted that today he and Mohammad Ahsan played better than yesterday. “Compared to yesterday, our performance today is much better. We learned a lot from yesterday’s mistakes and defeats. Now we are more compact and solid, playing better,” said Kevin.
On the other hand, the mixed pair created by Herry IP aims to confuse opponents in reading Indonesian strategy. “By randomizing, our strength is not easy for the opponent to read,” said Herry. “In addition, we can also have a lot of compositions and pair formations. This will also make the opponent more confused every time they meet us,” he explained.
