On October 12, 2024, the Yonex World Junior Badminton Championships took center stage at the Nanchang International Sports Center in Jiangxi, with the quarterfinals in full swing. Chinese players showcased their dominance, with three athletes from both the men’s singles and women’s singles categories advancing to the semifinals.
In mixed doubles, the second-seeded pair Lin Xiangyi and Liu Yuanyuan faced a tough challenge against Malaysia’s Asral and Dhania. After losing the opening game, they managed a remarkable comeback, winning the match 17-21, 21-14, 21-12. “We didn’t start strong and played a bit hesitantly at first, but we adjusted our mindset and gradually turned it around,” remarked Lin Xiangyi after the match.
In another mixed doubles quarterfinal, the duo Wang Ziheng and Cao Zihan came from behind to defeat the third-seeded Indonesian pair of Aurelius and Bernadine, with scores of 18-21, 21-17, 21-12. However, the fourth-seeded team of Li Hongyi and Zhang Jiahui fell short against Japan’s Sawada Shuji and Tamaki Ami after missing critical points.
In women’s singles, despite being pushed to a decisive game by India’s Sharma, China’s third-seeded Xu Wenjing emerged victorious, winning 21-13, 19-21, 21-15. Additionally, Chinese players Yin Yiqing and Dai Qinyi each won their respective matches, setting up a semifinal showdown between the two for a place in the finals.
The men’s singles also saw a clean sweep for three Chinese athletes. Liu Yangming, having already knocked out the third seed, continued his momentum by eliminating the eleventh seed from Indonesia, Richardo. Meanwhile, top seed Hu Zhe’an swiftly dispatched Taiwan’s Jiang Zijie, winning in two straight games. The fourth seed, Wang Zijun, also advanced easily against India’s Shettigar.
After the quarterfinals, only one Chinese women’s doubles team made it to the semifinals. The top-seeded pair Chen Fanshutian and Liu Jiayue triumphed over their teammates Jiang Peixi and Zhang Jiahui with scores of 21-16, 21-13. Unfortunately, the other Chinese pairing of Liu Yuanyuan and Wang Dao did not fare as well, losing to the second-seeded Indonesian duo of Isyana and Linggani.
In men’s doubles, Chinese teams continued to advance confidently. Chen Zhehan and Chen Yongrui won decisively against Taiwan’s Bao Xin and Cai Zhengying. The second-seeded team of Lin Xiangyi and Hu Keyuan also pulled off a solid victory, beating the Indonesian pair Darmo and Reisman with scores of 21-14 and 21-16.
