Bittersweet run for Malaysia’s Roy King

PETALING JAYA: It was a day of mixed fortune for Yap Roy King (pic) at the World Junior Championships in Kazan, Russia.

The 16-year-old partnered Gan Jing Err and put on a determined display by coming back from a game down to step into the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles event with a hard-fought win over France’s Kenji Lovang-Juliette Moinard 17-21,21-14,21-17 in the fourth round yesterday.

But while Roy King and his partner are now a win away from a place in the semi-final and a bronze medal, his partnership with Ooi Jhy Dar in the men’s doubles failed to get going.

The eight seeded Malaysians were upset 18-21,17-21 by Hong Kong’s unseeded pair Ko Shing Hei-Lui Chun Wai in the third round on Wednesday.

The loss was a bitter pill to swallow as they were on a red-hot form having won their last 13 matches before taking on the Hong Kong pair.

They had earlier picked up the Malaysian and Indian Junior Open International titles in August and September respectively.

Meanwhile, mixed doubles pair Mohd Haikal-Low Yeen Yuan’s run came to a halt against China’s fourth seeds Jiang Zhenbang-Li Yijing.

The Malaysians went down 20-22,21-19,14-21.

(Matches involving Malaysians only)THIRD ROUNDBoys’ doubles: Ko Shing Hei-Lui Chun Wai bt Ooi Hdy Dar-Yap Roy King 21-18,21-17; Junaidi Arif-Mohd Haikal bt Thanawan Madee-Ratchapol Makkasasithorn (Tha) 21-19,21-17; Leo Carnando-Daniel Marthin (Ina) bt Ching Kai Feng-Lwi Sheng Hao 21-11,21-19.

Girls’ doubles: Leung Sze Lok-Yeung Pui Lam (Hkg) bt Go Pei Kee-Teoh Le Xuan 21-6,21-12; Low Yeen Yuan-Valeree Siow bt Anastasiia Kurdyukova- Anastasiia Shapovalova (Rus) 21-12,21-19.

FOURTH ROUNDMixed doubles: Yap Roy King-Gan Jing Err bt Kenji Lovang-Juliette Moinard (Fra) 17-21,21-14,21-17; Jiang Zhenbang-Li Yijing (Chn) bt Mohd Haikal-Low Yeen Yuan 22-20,19-21,21-14.