High performers: Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing beat Indonesia’s Dexter Farrell-Wahyu Agung to book their spot in the last four.
PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Low Zi Yu is the youngest shuttler in the team but she made a big impact by storming into the girls’ doubles semi-finals with Dania Sofea Zaidi in the World Junior Championships.
Zi Yu, who is only 14, combined brilliantly with Dania, 17, to topple teammates Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting 21-11, 21-16 in Nanchang, China, yesterday to assure Malaysia of a bronze medal.
Asian Junior bronze medallists Xin Yee-Carmen were the favourites to win the match but their younger compatriots were unfazed and played with maturity beyond their years to claim the win in just 35 minutes.
National junior head coach Jeffer Rosobin was impressed with Dania-Zi Yu’s performance in what was the pair’s first international tournament.
The youngsters had also stunned several senior teammates to capture gold in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kuching in August in their first competition together.
“We gave the best junior players in the country the opportunity to play in big tournaments and they delivered,” said Jeffer.
“I saw that Dania and Zi Yu were the steadier pair on court today (yesterday) and stayed calm throughout the match.”
Dania-Zi Yu will take on China’s top seeds Chen Fan Shutian-Liu Jiayue next. Although the odds are against the former, Jeffer is not ruling out another upset.
“They still have a chance to win tomorrow (today) and hopefully they can perform well.”
Low Zi Yu and Dania Sofea Zaidi toppled teammates Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting.
Dania, however, could not make it a double joy for herself when she and Datu Anif Isaac Datu Asrah went down fighting 21-17, 14-21, 12-21 to China’s top seeds Lin Xiangyi-Liu Yuanyuan in the mixed doubles.
In the boys’ singles, ninth seed Mohd Faiq Masawi’s run also came to an end after he lost 18-21, 15-21 to Indonesian second seed Zaki Ubaidillah.
Malaysia, though, are assured of another medal in the boys’ doubles after top seeds and Asian Junior silver medallists Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing beat Indonesia’s Dexter Farrell-Wahyu Agung 23-21, 21-7 to book their spot in the last four.
Aaron-Khai Xing will take on China’s fourth seeds Chen Yongrui-Chen Zhehan next for a place in the final.
Both pairs are evenly matched based on the head-to-head records as both have won once against each other.
Aaron-Khai Xing beat Yongrui-Zhehan in the Dutch Junior International but the latter gained revenge by coming out on top in the German Junior in March.
