PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Dania Sofea Zaidi made an impressive start in her debut Asian Junior Championships by winning both her women’s singles and mixed doubles first-round matches.
In the women’s singles, the 16-year-old from Johor showed great fighting spirit and determination to beat Indonesia’s Desmoelya Hardianti 24-22, 18-21, 21-8 at the Among Rogo Sports Hall in Yogyakarta yesterday.
Dania then proved her versatility by combining with fellow debutant Datu Anif Isaac in the mixed doubles to come out on top over Japan’s Yuto Nakashizu-Rin Ueno 21-19, 17-21, 21-17 in another hard-fought match.
The youngster will next play Christel Rei of the Philippines in the women’s singles and will take on Thailand’s Attawut Sreepeaw-Sabrina Wedler in the mixed doubles along with Datu Anif.
Another women’s singles shuttler Ong Xin Yee is also safely through to the second round after sweeping aside the Philippines’ Kahrene Ivy 21-7, 21-5.
Xin Yee, who was part of the team that won bronze in the mixed team event, has a tougher task against Taiwan’s Wang Pei Yu next.
Meanwhile, second seed Siti Zulaikha Azmi, who received a first-round bye, will play India’s B. Adarshini Shri in the second round today.
In the men’s singles, Mohd Faiq Masawi, who also got a first-round bye, ousted Hong Kong’s Lam Ka To 21-18, 21-17 to move into the third round where he will face Japan’s Kazuma Kawano.
Joining Faiq in the third round will be Sng Wei Ming, who brushed past Pakistan’s Alwathiq Alabadi 21-6, 21-9.
Wei Ming will next take on South Korea’s Lee Sun-jin for a place in the fourth round.
Kong Zhou Swin, though, suffered an early exit after going down 19-21, 12-21 to another Korean Jung Yi-soo in the second round.
RESULTS
(Malaysians only)
First round
Women’s singles: Dania Sofea Zaidi bt Desmoelya Hardianti (Ina) 24-22, 18-21, 21-8; Ong Xin Yee bt Kahrene Ivy (Phi) 21-7, 21-5.
Mixed doubles: Datu Anif Isaac-Dania Sofea Zaidi bt Yuto Nakashizu-Rin Ueno (Jpn) 21-19, 17-21, 21-17; Lok Hong Quan-Clarissa San bt Daichi Miura-Himeka Hashimura (Jpn) 21-13, 21-8; GohYi Qin-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan bt Gift Linaban-Krissa Marie (Phi) 21-11, 21-18.
Second round
Men’s singles: Mohd Faiq Masawi bt Lam KaTo (Hkg) 21-18, 21-17; Sng Wei Ming btAlwathiqAlabadi (Pak) 21-6, 21-9; Jung Yi-soo (Kor) bt Kong Zhou Swin 21-19, 21-12.
