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Thursday October 29, 2009

Debutante upsets Taiwan’s top shuttler in first round

STORIES by LOGANATH VELLOO

SONIA Cheah made a stunning first-match appearance in the World Junior Badminton Championships when she blew away Taiwan’s top singles player Chen Chi-ya in the opening round of the girls’ singles competition at the Sultan Abdul Halim Indoor Stadium in Alor Setar yesterday.

The 16-year-old Bukit Jalil Sports School student surprised even herself in winning a lop-sided 25-minute match 21-12, 21-4.

Chi-ya had played a sterling role in helping Taiwan reach the semi-finals of the mixed team competition. Just three days ago, the Taiwanese made Malaysia’s top junior Tee Jing Yi slog for a 21-17, 22-20 win in the semi-final tie.

Chi-ya looked set to blast the less experienced Sonia after racing to a 6-1 lead in the first game. But once the national schools (MSSM) champion got into gear, she never looked back. She even reeled in a remarkable 12 consecutive points from a 9-4 scoreline in the second game to wrap up the match.

“I was a little worried when I learnt that I had to play against Chi-ya in the first round,” said Sonia.

“I was slow to get going but it was plain sailing once I found my rhythm ... I never expected to win so easily. This is my first experience playing in the World Juniors and I aim to go as far as possible in the competition.”

The younger sister of national shuttler, Lydia, had arrived in Alor Setar on the back of clinching the girls’ singles title at the Tangkas junior invitational tournament in Jakarta earlier this month.

Sonia will take on Canada’s Sarah Kong in the second round today. But she is more worried over a match against ninth-16th seeded Japanese Sayaka Takahashi, who is in her path in the third round.

“I do not have a good record against Sayaka. I lost to her in the round of 16 in the Asian Juniors this year,” said the Kuala Lumpur lass.

“But I am enjoying a good run of form now and hope that I can turn the tables on her with the help of support from the home crowd.”

Another Malaysian in the girls’ singles, Yang Li Lian, is also through to the second round after beating Filipina Malvinne Alcala 15-21, 21-13, 21-17. She will take on top Singaporean Chen Jiayuan today for a place in the third round.

Florah Ng failed to protect Malaysia’s full quota in the event after going down 13-21, 15-21 to India’s P.C. Thulasi.

Jing Yi, who received a first-round bye, is expected to get a free ride into the third round. Cambodian Sovanpich Sreynich, who also received a opening round bye, is not expected to turn up for the second round match today. Cambodia registered shuttlers for the championships but their squad have not arrived in Alor Setar.

The four Malaysian boys’ singles representatives – Iskandar Zulkarnain, Mohd Syawal Ismail, Mohd Misbun Ramdan and Zulfadli Zulkifli – will all start their campaigns in the second round.

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