PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will have a mixed doubles finalist at the Asian Junior Championships for the first time in 16 years after Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal-Low Zi Yu marched into the title decider on Saturday (July 4).
Playing at the Yatsushiro City General Gymnasium in Kyushu, Japan, Redzuan-Zi Yu overcame Taiwan’s Lin Sheng-min-Sun Liang-ching 21-16, 23-25, 21-10 in a 53-minute semi-final.
They will face China’s Zheng Weigang-Li Menghan in Sunday’s (July 5) final.
The last Malaysian mixed doubles pair to reach the final were Ow Yao Han-Lai Pei Jing, who finished runners-up when Kuala Lumpur hosted the championships in 2010.
Zi Yu, however, was unable to book a second final after she and Genevie Lim lost 21-16, 17-21, 17-21 to Japan’s second seeds Aoi Banno-Yuzu Ueno in the girls’ doubles semi-finals after 78 minutes.
Despite the defeat, Zi Yu and Genevie will return home with the bronze medal after reaching the last four.