Jakarta: Taiwanese badminton ace Chou Tien-chen fell in the finals of the US$1.45 million Indonesian Open to third-seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark in straight games after a first game collapse. Chou, who became the oldest player ever to reach a men's singles final at a BWF Super 1000 event at the age of 35 years and 150 days, was defeated by Antonsen 22-20, 21-14 in a one-hour match where Antonsen's quickness and defensive skills proved decisive.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Taiwanese veteran seemed to retain the momentum he had after overcoming new world no. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinals, maintaining a narrow but steady lead for most of the first game and giving himself three match points at 20-17. However, Antonsen, who expressed his strong desire for victory, did not relent and scored five consecutive points to take the lead in the match.

The second game was closely contested, though Antonsen gained a small edge midway through when a referee's call took a critical point away from Chou, leaving him visibly frustrated. As the game progressed, Chou struggled to penetrate Antonsen's defense and match his quickness near the net, which became more apparent late in the match. Holding a 15-13 lead, Antonsen ran off five straight points to give himself six match points, converting the second one to secure the title.

Chou, who had previously won the men's singles title at the Indonesia Open in 2019 by defeating Antonsen, was the only Taiwanese player to reach the quarterfinals of any of the five events in Jakarta. Despite his age, Chou maintained a positive outlook, stating, "I just think I'm younger than my opponents. You need to change your mind and be humble and stable," as quoted on the Badminton World Federation website. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Antonsen, who had faced physical issues during the week, appeared fresher at the end, taking home the men's singles title.