# Nova Widianto

Andreas Nova Widianto (born 10 October 1977) is an Indonesian former badminton player, and now works as a mixed doubles badminton coach in Malaysia. After ended his duty as an Indonesian mixed doubles national coach, he moved to Malaysia joining the Badminton Association of Malaysia as a mixed doubles national coach, and officially carry out his duties on 1 January 2023.

## Career

Nova Widianto is considered one of the greatest doubles player in his era. He is known for his superb movement on court and versatility to be paired with various players. Widianto specialized in mixed doubles. He enjoyed some international success with Vita Marissa, winning the SEA Games in 2001, the Asian Badminton Championships in 2003, and the Japan Open in 2004. However, his greatest success came from a partnership with Lilyana Natsir. They have been one of the world's two or three leading teams. In 2005, they were able to win the World Championships in 2005, beating Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Yawen in the final. The pair once more captured the gold medal at the 2007, by beating Zheng Bo and Gao Ling. They claimed the silver medals at the 2008 Olympic Games, having a shocking loss to the world number 10, Lee Yong Dae and Lee Hyo-jung. At the 2009 BWF World Championships, they also earned the silver medal, losing to the Danish pair. He was the runner up three times in a row, from 2006 to 2008, at the Japan open. They have been runner up at the All England Championships twice, and probably the narrowest one was at 2010, beaten by future Olympic champion, Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei, 18-21 25-23 18–21 in an hour and 31 minutes, considered one of the best mixed doubles game that ever played. Widianto has represented Indonesia in the Sudirman Cup (combined men's and women's world team championships) five times: 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

### 2004 Summer Olympics

He competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics at the Goudi Olympic Hall, Athens, Greece, in the mixed doubles with partner Vita Marissa and only reached the quarterfinal, after being defeated in the quarterfinal by the Danish pair.
2004 Summer Olympics – Mixed doubles :
| Round | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| First round | Vita Marissa [8] | - | Bye | Win |
| Second Round | Vita Marissa [8] | Robert Blair Natalie Munt | 15–8, 15–12 | Win |
| Quarterfinal | Vita Marissa [8] | Jens Eriksen Mette Schjoldager | 12–15, 8–15 | Lost |

### 2008 Summer Olympics

He competed in badminton at the 2008 Summer Olympics as the 1st seed in the mixed doubles with partner Lilyana Natsir and reached the final by beating He Hanbin and Yu Yang in the semifinal with thrilling scores, 15–21 21–11 23–21. In the final, they were defeated by gold medalists, Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung of South Korea in straight sets, 21–11 and 21–17.
2008 Summer Olympics – Mixed doubles :
| Round | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| First round | Liliyana Natsir [1] | Han Sang-hoon Hwang Yu-mi | 23–21, 21–19 | Win |
| Quarterfinal | Liliyana Natsir [1] | Sudket Prapakamol Saralee Thungthongkam | 21–13, 21–19 | Win |
| Semifinal | Liliyana Natsir [1] | He Hanbin [4] Yu Yang | 15–21, 21–11, 23–21 | Win |
| Final | Liliyana Natsir [1] | Lee Yong-dae Lee Hyo-jung | 11–21, 17–21 | Silver |

## Personal life

When he was young, he joined the Tangkas Jakarta badminton club. The parent's names are Santoso (father) and Sutari (mother). His hobby is football. Normally, people called him Nova or Kedheng. He's married former Indonesian national player Eny Widiowati.

## Men's doubles

He also followed some tournaments in men's doubles. He played with Candra Wijaya for a few months, preparing for Thomas Cup event and succeeded to be the runner up of Asian Badminton Championships, lost to Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong-dae in the final, 21–16 21–18. He also helped Indonesia to claim gold medal in men's team in Southeast Asian Games, partnering with Mohammad Ahsan and beat Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari, 21–18 21–17 to give 3–1 win against Malaysia .

## Playing style

His powerful smash and accurate placement on the court have been a crucial part of Nova's game to dominate the mixed doubles and being at the top level. His mental strength and great spirit also become the decisive factor to win the game and somehow manage to be the other source of his power. The other thing is his ability to keep retrieving the shuttle with such tricky technique also able to make his opponent goes into the trouble.

## Achievements
### Olympic Games

Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2008 | Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, Beijing, China | Liliyana Natsir | Lee Yong-dae Lee Hyo-jung | 11–21, 17–21 | Silver |

### BWF World Championships

Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2005 | Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, United States | Liliyana Natsir | Xie Zhongbo Zhang Yawen | 13–15, 15–8, 15–2 | Gold |
| 2007 | Putra Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Liliyana Natsir | Zheng Bo Gao Ling | 21–16, 21–14 | Gold |
| 2009 | Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, India | Liliyana Natsir | Thomas Laybourn Kamilla Rytter Juhl | 13–21, 17–21 | Silver |

### World Cup

Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2005 | Olympic Park, Yiyang, China | Liliyana Natsir | Xie Zhongbo Zhang Yawen | 19–21, 10–21 | Silver |
| 2006 | Olympic Park, Yiyang, China | Liliyana Natsir | Xie Zhongbo Zhang Yawen | 21–16, 21–18 | Gold |

### Asian Games

Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2002 | Gangseo Gymnasium, Busan, South Korea | Vita Marissa | Khunakorn Sudhisodhi Saralee Thungthongkam | 11–5, 5–11, 5–11 | Bronze |

### Asian Championships

Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2008 | Bandaraya Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Candra Wijaya | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 16–21, 18–21 | Silver |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2003 | Tennis Indoor Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia | Vita Marissa | Anggun Nugroho Eny Widiowati | 15–2, 15–11 | Gold |
| 2004 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Vita Marissa | Kim Dong-moon Ra Kyung-min | 15–13, 7–15, 3–15 | Bronze |
| 2006 | Bandaraya Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Liliyana Natsir | Sudket Prapakamol Saralee Thungthongkam | 21–16, 21–23, 21–14 | Gold |
| 2008 | Bandaraya Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Liliyana Natsir | Flandy Limpele Vita Marissa | 17–21, 17–21 | Silver |

### SEA Games

Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2001 | Malawati Stadium, Selangor, Malaysia | Vita Marissa | Bambang Suprianto Emma Ermawati | 3–15, 15–7, 17–15 | Gold |
| 2005 | PhilSports Arena, Metro Manila, Philippines | Liliyana Natsir | Anggun Nugroho Yunita Tetty | 15–6, 15–2 | Gold |
| 2007 | Wongchawalitkul University, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand | Liliyana Natsir | Sudket Prapakamol Saralee Thungthongkam | 21–13, 22–24, 16–21 | Bronze |
| 2009 | Gym Hall 1, National Sports Complex, Vientiane, Laos | Liliyana Natsir | Songphon Anugritayawon Kunchala Voravichitchaikul | 21–10, 20–22, 21–9 | Gold |

### BWF Superseries (5 titles, 9 runners-up)

The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011. Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2007 | Indonesia Open | Liliyana Natsir | Zheng Bo Gao Ling | 16–21, 11–21 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | Japan Open | Liliyana Natsir | Zheng Bo Gao Ling | 19–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | China Open | Liliyana Natsir | Sudket Prapakamol Saralee Thungthongkam | 15–21, 21–18, 21–11 | Winner |
| 2007 | Hong Kong Open | Liliyana Natsir | Zheng Bo Gao Ling | 21–23, 21–18, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2008 | All England Open | Liliyana Natsir | Zheng Bo Gao Ling | 21–18, 14–21, 9–21 | Runner-up |
| 2008 | Singapore Open | Liliyana Natsir | Anthony Clark Donna Kellogg | 17–21, 21–14, 21–9 | Winner |
| 2008 | Japan Open | Liliyana Natsir | Muhammad Rijal Vita Marissa | 21–14, 15–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2008 | China Masters | Liliyana Natsir | Xie Zhongbo Zhang Yawen | 17–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2008 | Superseries Finals | Liliyana Natsir | Thomas Laybourn Kamilla Rytter Juhl | 19–21, 21–18, 20–22 | Runner-up |
| 2009 | Malaysia Open | Liliyana Natsir | Lee Yong-dae Lee Hyo-jung | 21–14, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2009 | French Open | Liliyana Natsir | Hendra Aprida Gunawan Vita Marissa | 21–7, 21–7 | Winner |
| 2009 | Hong Kong Open | Liliyana Natsir | Robert Mateusiak Nadieżda Kostiuczyk | 20–22, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | All England Open | Liliyana Natsir | Zhang Nan Zhao Yunlei | 18–21, 25–23, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | Singapore Open | Liliyana Natsir | Thomas Laybourn Kamilla Rytter Juhl | 12–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
    BWF Superseries Finals tournament
    BWF Superseries Premier tournament
    BWF Superseries tournament

### BWF/IBF Grand Prix (7 titles, 11 runners-up)

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006.
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2011 | Thailand Open | Vita Marissa | Lee Sheng-mu Chien Yu-chin | 10–21, 21–23 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | Philippines Open | Liliyana Natsir | Han Sang-hoon Hwang Yu-mi | 21–17, 21–13 | Winner |
| 2006 | Japan Open | Liliyana Natsir | Flandy Limpele Vita Marissa | 21–11, 18–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2006 | Hong Kong Open | Liliyana Natsir | Zheng Bo Zhao Tingting | 20–22, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2006 | Korea Open | Liliyana Natsir | Jens Eriksen Mette Schjoldager | 23–21, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2006 | Chinese Taipei Open | Liliyana Natsir | Lee Jae-jin Lee Hyo-jung | 17–21, 23–21, 21–13 | Winner |
| 2006 | Singapore Open | Liliyana Natsir | Nathan Robertson Gail Emms | 21–16, 20–22, 23–21 | Winner |
| 2006 | Indonesia Open | Liliyana Natsir | Xie Zhongbo Zhang Yawen | 19–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
| 2005 | Indonesia Open | Liliyana Natsir | Anggun Nugroho Yunita Tetty | 15–13, 15–1 | Winner |
| 2005 | Swiss Open | Liliyana Natsir | Nathan Robertson Gail Emms | 14–17, 6–15 | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Singapore Open | Liliyana Natsir | Koo Kien Keat Wong Pei Tty | 15–1, 15–4 | Winner |
| 2004 | Japan Open | Vita Marissa | Sudket Prapakamol Saralee Thungthongkam | 15–10, 15–13 | Winner |
| 2003 | Chinese Taipei Open | Vita Marissa | Kim Dong-moon Ra Kyung-min | 7–15, 5–15 | Runner-up |
| 2002 | Japan Open | Vita Marissa | Kim Dong-moon Ra Kyung-min | 3–7, 2–7, 2–7 | Runner-up |
| 2002 | Indonesia Open | Vita Marissa | Bambang Suprianto Minarti Timur | 7–11, 3–11 | Runner-up |
| 2002 | Denmark Open | Vita Marissa | Kim Dong-moon Hwang Yu-mi | 6–11, 11–4, 7–11 | Runner-up |
| 2002 | Chinese Taipei Open | Vita Marissa | Tri Kusharjanto Emma Ermawati | 11–8, 11–13, 7–11 | Runner-up |
| 2001 | Indonesia Open | Vita Marissa | Tri Kusharjanto Emma Ermawati | 5–7, 1–7, 7–2, 1–7 | Runner-up |
    BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
    BWF & IBF Grand Prix tournament

### IBF International (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1998 | Jakarta International | Karel Mainaky | Luluk Hadiyanto Aras Razak | 15–11, 11–15, 15–11 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1998 | Jakarta International | Eny Widiowati | Endra Mulyana Mulyajaya Angeline de Pauw | 4–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |

## Performance timeline
### Indonesian team

* Senior level
| Team event | 2001 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 |
| SEA Games | Silver | Silver | Gold | Gold |
| Team event | 2002 | 2006 |
| Asian Games | Silver | Bronze |
| Team events | 2008 | 2010 |
| Thomas Cup | Bronze | Silver |
| Team event | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 |
| Sudirman Cup | Silver | Silver | Bronze |

### Individual competitions

* Senior level
| Event | 2001 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 |
| SEA Games | Gold | Gold | Bronze | Gold |
| Event | 2003 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 |
| Asian Championships | Gold (XD) | Bronze (XD) | Gold (XD) | Silver (MD) Silver (XD) |
| Event | 2002 | 2006 |
| Asian Games | Bronze | QF |
| Event | 2005 | 2006 |
| World Cup | Silver | Gold |
| Event | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 |
| BWF World Championships | QF | R2 | Gold | R3 | Gold | Silver | QF |
| Event | 2004 | 2008 |
| Olympics | QF | Silver |
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | Best |
| BWF Super Series ||||||||
| All England Open | QF | F | QF | F | R1 | A | F (2008, 2010) |
| Swiss Open | A | SF | QF | A | GPG | GPG | SF (2008) |
| India Open | — | GPG | GPG | GPG | QF | A | QF (2011) |
| Malaysia Open | SF | QF | W | R1 | R1 | R1 | W (2009) |
| Singapore Open | SF | W | SF | F | R1 | A | W (2004, 2006, 2008) |
| China Masters | SF | F | A | SF | R2 | A | F (2008) |
| Indonesia Open | F | SF | QF | SF | R1 | A | W (2005) |
| Japan Open | F | F | SF | R2 | R2 | A | W (2004) |
| Korea Open | R2 | R1 | R2 | A | R2 | R1 | W (2006) |
| Denmark Open | R1 | A | QF | A | R1 | A | F (2002) |
| French Open | QF | SF | W | A | QF | A | W (2009) |
| China Open | W | A | A | A | R1 | A | W (2007) |
| Hong Kong Open | W | QF | F | A | A | A | W (2007) |
| BWF Superseries Finals | — | F | NQ | NQ | NQ | NQ | F (2008) |
| Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Best |
| BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold |||||||||||||
| Chinese Taipei Open | — | F | F | | | W | SF | | | A | R2 | W (2006) |
| Denmark Open | SF | F | | | A | A | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | F (2002) |
| Hong Kong Open | | — | | — | | F | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | F (2006) |
| Indonesia Open | F | F | | QF | W | F | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | W (2005) |
| Japan Open | | F | | W | | F | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | W (2004) |
| Korea Open | | | | | | W | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | W (2006) |
| Philippines Open | — | — | — | — | — | | W | — | A | — | — | W (2007) |
| Singapore Open | QF | | | W | | W | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | W (2004, 2006) |
| Swiss Open | | | | | F | | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | F (2005) |
| Thailand Open | | — | | | | | | | | — | F | F (2011) |