Andika Ramadiansyah and Nozomi Shimizu won their first international title together after beating Chinese Taipei’s Lin Bing-Wei and Liao Jui-Chi in the mixed-doubles final at the MAXX North Harbour International.
The Australian pair, who were the top seeds, prevailed 21-10, 21-18 at Badminton North Harbour. Their victory improved on last year’s runners-up finish at the same event and ended a run in which they had reached two previous finals without lifting a title.
Ramadiansyah said afterwards that the success had been a long time coming for the partnership, which had been playing together for around a year and a half. He said the pair had finally converted a final into a championship win after earlier near misses.
The scoreline suggests a more secure finish than their semi-final had provided. On the previous day, Ramadiansyah and Shimizu overcame Lu Chen and Yun Jung Chang of Chinese Taipei 21-16, 21-19 to book their place in the final.
Ramadiansyah had said after that match that he felt comfortable while they held a late lead, but became nervous as their opponents narrowed the gap. He said that focusing point by point had helped the pair close out the contest. That experience appeared relevant in the final, where they established a substantial advantage in the opening game before resisting Lin and Liao in the second.
From last year’s runners-up to champions
The title carried added significance because Ramadiansyah and Shimizu had entered the tournament as last year’s beaten finalists. As top seeds, they turned that previous result into a straight-games win over Lin and Liao, who had reached the deciding match after winning their own semi-final.
Ramadiansyah and Shimizu’s route to the final had included a tight two-game victory over Lu and Chang. Their 21-16, 21-19 semi-final win came after Shimizu had already played in the women’s doubles that day, and she said her energy had been reduced by competing in both events.
On the preceding day, Shimizu and Griselda had beaten Hsuan Ni Chen and Chia-Yi Kung 21-11, 21-15 in the women’s doubles semi-final. Ramadiansyah and Shimizu then defeated Lu and Chang later that day, so her assessment of reduced energy followed two matches across different disciplines. Both wins put Shimizu into finals on the following day.
For Ramadiansyah and Shimizu, the final offered a fresh test against Lin and Liao. Lin also arrived in the final after reaching the men’s doubles title match, meaning both mixed-doubles finalists had additional demands during finals day.
Ramadiansyah and Shimizu’s 21-10 first game was the clearest phase of the contest. Lin and Liao responded more closely in the second, yet the Australians retained enough control to complete the win 21-18 and secure the first international trophy of their partnership.
Shimizu’s second final ends in defeat
Shimizu had a second title opportunity on finals day in the women’s doubles alongside Laudya Chelsea Griselda. They faced second seeds Hsieh Mi Yen and Yu Chien Hui of Chinese Taipei in the women’s doubles final, which they lost in three games.
Hsieh and Yu won that final in three games, leaving Shimizu and Griselda as runners-up. The result meant Shimizu finished the tournament with one title from two finals rather than a doubles sweep.
Shimizu had acknowledged after reaching both finals that playing two events had affected her energy in the mixed-doubles semi-final. She said she had been relieved to reach the final with Ramadiansyah after her workload across the day. The eventual title gave the Australian pair a breakthrough after their runners-up finish at the same tournament last year.
The result marked a successful conclusion to a tournament in which the top-seeded pair had the chance to improve on that previous finish. Their straight-games final victory supplied the first international title of Ramadiansyah and Shimizu’s partnership.