CAIRO (Xinhua): China defeated Thailand 2-0 in the semifinals of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Junior Team Championships in Cairo on late Friday evening, setting up a title clash with Malaysia.
The Chinese team overcame an early deficit to secure victory at the Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex, winning two straight sets under the tournament's relay scoring format in which players compete across five disciplines and accumulate points for their teams.
Yin Yiqing, an 18-year-old Chinese player, said the match was challenging because China was trailing when she entered the court.
"We had prepared thoroughly for the team competition format and practiced it many times during training," she told Xinhua after the match.
"I think I performed quite well today. I was able to stay in control of the match, manage the pace effectively, and put into practice what I had worked on in training," she added.
Her teammate Luo Jingyu, also 18, acknowledged the difficulties he faced in the men's singles and praised the strength of the Thai team.
"Today's match was quite challenging. As the first player to compete in the men's singles, I faced some difficulties, but I tried my best," Luo said, adding that he hoped to improve his performance in the next match.
Looking ahead to Saturday's final, Luo said, "If I get the chance to play, I will give it my all and fight for every point. I hope Team China can achieve a great result in the end."
Malaysia advanced to the final after defeating Indonesia 2-0 in the other semifinal earlier on Friday.
The team competition, also known as the Suhandinata Cup, runs from Oct 5 to 10 in Cairo and will be followed by the individual championships.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA
