Alwi Farhan books his first Super 750 semifinal berth after knocking out Kodai Naraoka.

Alwi Farhan's confidence continues to rise alongside his impressive run at Singapore Open 2026. The Indonesian Men's Singles Badminton Player has just recorded the best career achievement at BWF World Tour Super 750 level after securing a spot in the semi-final round.

Alwi earned this key milestone after defeating Japan's representative Kodai Naraoka in the Quarter Final at Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday. Putting on a convincing performance, the young Indonesian shuttler claimed a straight-game victory with scores of 21-12, 21-17.

This win was even more special as it marked Alwi's revenge. During their previous meeting at the 2026 Asian Championships, Alwi had been beaten by Kodai in straight games.

This time, Alwi showed significant improvement both in technical ability and competitive mentality.

"Alhamdulillah, of course I am very happy to get this win, avenge the earlier loss and reach my first ever Super 750 semi-final. I got chased down for a while in the second game, but I managed to control the pressure and take hold of the match," Alwi said in an official PBSI statement.

This success did not come easily. Even though he dominated most of the match, Alwi had to withstand mounting pressure as Kodai slowly closed the gap during the second game.

After building a comfortable lead, Alwi saw Kodai level the scores at 16-16.

But at this critical moment, Alwi demonstrated his growing maturity. He kept his composure, regained control of the play, then locked down the necessary points to seal the victory.

Experience from their previous meeting became valuable preparation. Alwi confirmed he had studied Kodai's playing style and all possible scenarios that could occur during the match.

"Kodai quite frequently uses game delays, so you really have to stay patient, and be prepared for every technical and non-technical situation on court. I learned this from our first match at the Asian Championships earlier," Alwi explained.

Alwi's path to the semi-finals follows a massive upset he pulled off the day before. In the prior round, he defeated top seed and men's singles world number one Shi Yu Qi of China in a fierce three-game battle, with final scores 21-16, 19-21, 21-14.

The win over Shi Yu Qi became the biggest talking point of the tournament, but Alwi admitted this result actually brought new pressure. With rising expectations, he had to work extra hard to steady his mind before facing Kodai.

"I actually felt quite pressured today, because after beating the top seed yesterday, this backwards thought creeps in like 'oh, I already beat Shi Yu Qi so I should beat everyone else'. But I tried to keep control and learn from experience: playing well yesterday is no guarantee you can perform the same today. I was worried about an anticlimactic showing, but I managed to stay focused even when I struggled a little. It is what it is," Alwi stated.

For the semi-final round on Saturday 30 May, Alwi will face France's Alex Lanier, who knocked out Denmark's Anders Antonsen in the quarter finals.

While he acknowledges that semi-final pressure will feel different, Alwi is sticking to a simple approach. He intends to enter the match with full focus, competing one point at a time.

"The pressure will definitely be different, but one thing for sure: I will just take it every point by point," Alwi said.

Behind his outstanding form, Alwi also received huge support from senior players on the Indonesian National Team. He specifically mentioned Men's Doubles pair Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, who have continuously provided him with motivation and positive energy throughout the tournament.

"I'm really close with Fajar and Fikri. As seniors, they always have positive things to share with me. Today they also set an example with their fighting spirit on court that fired me up even more. I'm very grateful to them, I hope all of us can go even further in this tournament," he said.

With Alwi's qualification, Indonesia will have two representatives in the Singapore Open 2026 semi-final round. Earlier, Fajar/Fikri also secured their semi-final ticket after defeating Malaysian pair Goh Sze Fei / Nur Izzuddin.