KUALA LUMPUR: Dane Anders Antonsen won the battle of the "Istora Boys" by beating Taiwanese veteran Chou Tien Chen to claim his first Indonesia Open crown in Jakarta today.
Both were hugely popular among fans at the iconic Istora Senayan because of their amiable nature, and were fondly known as the "Istora Boys". World No. 3 Antonsen secured a 22-20, 21-14 win over world No. 7 Tien Chen in a 60-minute final.
The Danish showman was delighted by his victory after being denied the title in the 2019 final by Tien Chen and by China's world No. 1 Shu Yu Qi last year.
"I was taking painkillers and had to push hard. It's my third final and I wanted the title so badly," said Antonsen.
"I don't know If I got this correctly... Terima kasih kerana support saya (Thank you for supporting me)."
Antonsen pocketed US$101,500 (RM429,148) while Tien Chen took home US$49,300.
Meanwhile Olympic champion An Se Young of South Korea proved that her defeat in the Singapore Open last week was a minor blip as she secured her second Indonesia Open crown.
World No. 1 Se Young came from behind to beat China's world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi, 13-21, 21-19, 21-15 in 81 minutes.
