JAKARTA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Top-seeded Shi Yuqi of China was shocked by Indonesian talent Jonatan Christie in his first match in badminton men's singles at the 18th Asian Games here on Friday.
Shi lost the duel 21-19, 19-21, 21-17 in the grueling 71-minute clash.
Christie also declared himself in Wednesday's team final as he led one game up against Chen Long, but the Olympic champion managed to turn the tides, before China went on to beat Indonesia 3-1.
The 20-year-old Indonesian posed great threat to Shi with his feet movement and precise smashing. After both players tied at 19, Christie grasped his opportunity to snatch two points in a row for an upper hand.
Shi regrouped himself in the second game and forced a decider by triumphing 21-19.
Following an early-game tussle in the decider, Christie built an 11-9 lead at the changeover, and withstood stiff resistance to stun the top seed 21-17.
Christie threw his racket and lay on the court, embracing elated home crowds' thunderous shouting.
"He played quite well, but it looked like he was not fast enough. Maybe after his match against Anthony (Sinisuka Ginting), his feet movement was a bit slower than before," said Christie about Shi's performance.
Christie added that home crowds' support earned him extra motivation for the win.
"Yes, of course. The audience were amazing. It made me do more in the match," he said.
"We both played well, but I had some errors. I felt better than in previous matches, and the duel against Ginting helped a lot in boosting my confidence and implementing tactics," Shi commented.
Chen Long met little trouble en route to a 21-8, 21-10 victory over Muhammad Irfan Saeed Bhatti of Pakistan, making into men's singles last 16.
