Steady progress: Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing beat China’s Chen Yongrui-Chen Zhehan (Chn) 21-18, 10-21, 21-15 in the world junior semi-finals.
PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Dania Sofea Zaidi-Low Zi Yu are just one step away from creating history for Malaysia in the World Junior Championships.
The unseeded Dania-Zi Yu pulled off a sensational 16-21, 21-16, 21-17 win over Chinese top seeds Chen Fan Shutian-Liu Jia Yue to storm into the girls’ doubles final in Nanchang, China yesterday.
Zi Yu, who is the youngest member in the team at only 14, and Dania, who turns 17 next month, were the underdogs but fought brilliantly to come from behind to upstage the Chinese pair in 71 minutes.The pair are the first Malaysians in the girls’ doubles to reach the final in the world junior meet since Pearly Tan-Toh Ee Wei won silver in the 2018 edition.
Dania-Zi Yu were not expected to come this far in what was their first international competition together but now have the opportunity to become the first Malaysians to win gold in the girls’ doubles in the tournament.
Standing in their way to the title are Japan’s fourth seeds Ririna Hiramoto-Aya Tamaki.
On their win in the last four, Dania told the Badminton World Federation (BWF): “This is our first World Juniors and we are so happy that we could reach the final.
“We did not want to think too much but we just wanted to play our best. We knew that the Chinese pair were very strong and we just told each other to bring out our own game.
Zi Yu said: “Our coach told us to play faster than our opponents after we lost the first game.
“We wanted to play an attacking game to break through their defense which was good.
“We got nervous when they started chasing us in the third game but we told each other to not make simple mistakes,” she added.
Dania-Zi Yu are out to crown their impressive run by winning the title today.
Meanwhile, boys’ doubles pair Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing made it a great day joy for Malaysia when they beat China’s Chen Yongrui-Chen Zhehan 21-18, 10-21, 21-15 to reach the final.
Aaron-Khai Xing, who are the top seeds, will take on another Chinese pair and second seeds Hu Keyuan-Lin Xiangyi for the title today.
Goh Jin Wei, who captured gold in the girls’ singles in 2018, was the last Malaysian to win a title in the tournament.
BADMINTON RESULTS
ARCTIC OPEN
Malaysians unless stated
Semi-finals
Men’s doubles: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bt Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang (Chn) 19-21, 21-17, 21-18.
Women’s singles: Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Tomoka Miyazaki (Jpn) 21-11, 21-14; Han Yue (Chn) bt Gregoria Mariska (Ina) 21-9, 16-21, 21-9.
Mixed doubles: Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 21-14, 21-8; Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi (Chn) 21-16, 21-18.
Quarter-finals
Men’s singles: Koki Watanabe (Jpn) bt Lee Zii Jia 21-15, 13-21, 21-12.
Men’s doubles: Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang (Chn) bt Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun 21-17, 16-21, 21-17.
Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Chang Ching-hui-Yang Ching-tun (Tpe) 21-8, 21-18.
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Semi-finals
Boys’ singles: Hu Zhean (Chn) bt Liu Yang-ming (Tpe) 21-14, 21-13;Wang Zijun (Chn) bt Zaki Abdullah (Ina) 21-19, 22-20.
Boys’ doubles: Hu Keyuan-Lin Xiangyi (Chn) bt Kenta Matsukawa-Yuto Nakashizu (Jpn) 21-17, 21-5; Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing (Mas) bt Chen Yongrui-Chen Zhehan (Chn) 21-18, 10-21, 21-15.
Girls’ singles: Xu Wenjing (Chn) bt Sarunrak Vitidsarn (Tha) 21-12, 24-22; Yin Yiqing (Chn) bt Dai Qinyi (Chn) 21-16, 17-21, 23-21.
Girls’ doubles: Dania Sofea Zaidi-Low Zi Yu (Mas) bt Chen Fan Shutian-Liu Jia Yue (Chn) 16-21, 21-16, 21-17; Ririna Hiramoto-Aya Tamaki (Jpn) bt Isyana Syahira-Rinjani Kwinara (Ina) 23-21, 21-19.
Mixed doubles: Lin Xiangyi-Liu Yuanyuan (Chn) bt Wang Ziheng-Cao Zihan (Chn) 21-18, 21-16; Lai Po-yu-Liang Ching-sun (Tpe) bt Shuji Sawada-Aya Tamaki (Jpn) 21-11, 21-15.
