PETALING JAYA: Low Zi Yu remains determined to chase the girls’ doubles gold medal at the Asian Junior Championships in Yatsushiro City, Japan, from June 26-July 5 despite being handed a new partner for this year’s edition.
The 16-year-old will team up with Genevie Lim in the event.
The pairing is a gamble by the coaching team as Zi Yu and Genevie have only been playing together since Zi Yu returned from the Australian Open last week.
However, Zi Yu is unfazed by the change and has been working hard to build chemistry with Genevie.
“For the Asian Juniors, I have a new partner, so we’ve been trying out the pairing in training. We don’t know what will happen when we get there, but we’ll give it our best shot. I will fight for the gold,” said Zi Yu.
Zi Yu is still haunted by last year’s disappointment in Surakarta, Indonesia, where she and Dania Sofea Zaidi bowed out in the quarter-finals despite being seeded second.
After Dania suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in September last year, Zi Yu partnered Nur Aina Maisarah at junior level while continuing her senior partnership with Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan.
Genevie, meanwhile, is a Sarawakian who finished runner-up in the national Under-21 championships in January alongside Wafa Shahmina Rahman.
Besides the girls’ doubles, Zi Yu will also compete in the mixed doubles with Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal.
Redzuan is currently the world No. 1 junior mixed doubles player, while Zi Yu also tops the girls’ doubles rankings.
“So far, I think it’s been good training with Redzuan. Of course, I want to fight for the gold medal. If possible, I’d like to win two golds,” said Zi Yu.
Malaysia will begin their mixed team campaign in Group D alongside last year’s runners-up Indonesia, South Korea and Macau.
