PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Bryan Goonting-Low Han Chen saved the day for Malaysia after emerging as the sole representatives to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Asian Junior Championships.
While their teammates fell one by one, Bryan-Han Chen kept their cool to beat fourth seeds Chen Zhehan-Lin Xianyi of China 21-12, 21-18 in the boys’ doubles third round in Yogyakarta.
Team manager Joanne Quay said the players’ strategy in the match was spot on.
“Generally, the boys played a good game by keeping the shuttle in control,” said Joanne, who is also Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) deputy development director.
“There was a strong draught in the court but they kept the shuttle tight and did not allow their opponents to attack.”
Bryan-Han Chen, who are unseeded, are now only one step away from securing at least a bronze medal.
The pair need to beat the winners of the match between Indonesia’s Zidane Efendi-Kleopas Prakoso and United Arab Emirates’ Dev Ayyappan-Dhiren Ayyappan to keep their medal hopes alive.
Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for another pair, Loh Ziheng-Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal after going down 18-21, 10-21 to Taiwan’s Lai Po-yu-Tsai Fu-cheng.
In the men’s singles, Malaysia’s hopes of winning a medal went up in smoke after Mohd Faiq Haziq lost 8-21, 18-21 to China’s Zhang Ning.
In the women’s singles, 13th seeded Siti Zulaikha Azmi came close to pulling off a huge upset over second seed Sirada Roongpiboonsopit of Thailand but agonisingly lost 21-17, 18-21, 19-21 in 58 minutes.
Ong Xin Yee also narrowly went down 20-22, 20-22 to Indonesia’s Ruzana Ruzana.
As expected, Ung Yi Xing found reigning world junior champion Tomoko Miyazaki of Japan a tough nut to crack and went down 8-21, 14-21.
For Xin Yee, it was double disappointment after also losing in the women’s doubles along with Carmen Ting to Indonesia’s Nabila Cahya-Reva Olivia 22-24, 21-16, 17-21. (Malaysians only)Singles
RESULTS
Fourth round
Boys: Zhang Ning (Chn) bt Mohd Faiq Haziq 21-8, 21-18.
Girls: Ruzana Ruzana (Ina) bt Ong Xin Yee 22-20, 22-20; Tomoko Miyazaki (Jpn) bt Ung Yi Xing 21-8, 21-14; Sirada Roongpiboonsopit (Tha) bt Siti Zulaikha Azmi 17-21, 21-18, 21-19.
Doubles
Third round
Boys: Bryan Goonting-Low Han Chen bt Chen Zhehan-Lin Xiangyi (Chn) 21-12, 21-18; Lai Po-yu-Tsai Fu-cheng (Tpe) bt Loh Ziheng-Ahmad Redzuan 21-18, 21-10.
Girls: Nabila Cahya-Reva Olivia (Ina) bt Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting 24-22, 16-21, 21-17.
