PETALING JAYA: Mutiara Ayu (pic) made it a grand day for the hosts as she became the first Indonesian player to win the girls’ singles title at the Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta yesterday.
Mutiara was in top form as she secured a comprehensive 21-11, 21-17 win over South Korea’s Kim Min-ji in 35 minutes.
China were so dominant in the girls’ singles that they have won 17 titles and only four other players have managed to stop their dominance before Mutiara achieved the feat.
They are Jun Jae-youn of South Korea (2001), P.V. Sindhu of India (2012) and Japanese shuttlers Aya Ohori (2013) and Akane Yamaguchi (2015).
Meanwhile, Zhu Yijun could join the growing list of top doubles players in China as he became the only player to secure a double at the meet.
Yijun took to the court first in the mixed doubles final with Huang Kezin where they defeated Liao Pinyi-Zhang Jiahan 21-19, 21-18 in an all-China match-up.
He later combined with Ma Shang to triumph 19-21, 21-16, 21-13 in yet another all-China final in the boys’ doubles.
China also claimed the boys’ single through Hu Zhean while Japan secured the women’s doubles through Mei Sudo-Nao Yamakita.
RESULTS
FINAL
Boys’ singles: Hu Zhean (Chn) bt Yudai Okimoto (Jpn) 13-21, 21-14, 21-14.
Boys’ doubles: Ma Shang-Zhu Yijun (Chn) bt Chen Yongrui-Hu Keyuan (Chn) 19-21, 21-16, 21-13.
Girls’ singles: Mutiara Ayu (Ina) bt Korea’s Kim Min-ji (Kor) 21-11, 21-17.
Girls’ doubles: Mei Sudo-Nao Yamakita (Jpn) bt Park Se-ul-Yeon Seo-yeon (Kor) 21-19, 14-21, 23-21.
Mixed doubles: Zhu Yijun-Huang Kezin (Chn) bt Liao Pinyi-Zhang Jiahan (Chn) 21-19, 21-18.
