KUALA LUMPUR: Leading national juniors Lucas Lee and Teoh Sue Mei reached the boys' and girls Under-17 last 16 round in contrasting fashion at the Lee Chong Wei Cup at Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara on Thursday (Sept 3).
Lucas and Sue Mei were part of a massive 189 matches played, as the Grand Finals moved deeper into the knockout phase.
Friday will see the remaining players battle for places in the quarter-finals, before the last eight and semi-final stages are contested on Saturday.
Thirteen champions will then be crowned in Sunday’s finale.
For Lucas, carrying a favourite tag did little to deter his opponent.
Playing his first match of the tournament after bypassing qualifying and receiving a first round bye, the 17-year-old lost the opening game against Zayden Lee before recovering for a 9-15, 15-9, 15-9 victory.
“This was actually my first match, so in the first game the feeling wasn’t there as usual,” said Lucas.
“But in the second and third games, my momentum came back and I started getting the court feeling again. After that, it became easier.
Lucas first picked up badminton at seven under the influence of his father, Alex, a former Sabah state player.
Tournament founder Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei later became another major inspiration.
Lucas recalled his father taking him to the Unifi Arena (previously known as Axiata Arena) for the 2018 Malaysia Open final against Kento Momota, the first time he had watched his idol compete live.
“That was the first time I watched Lee Chong Wei play live,” said Lucas.
“He was already my favourite player, so when my father asked if I wanted to go, of course I said yes.
“After watching him that day, I fell in love with badminton. It gave me even more motivation to keep playing and to try to become like him.”
Meanwhile, Sue Mei underlined why she is one of the names to watch with a commanding 15-4, 15-3 victory over Nur Humairah Husna.
“This was my first match, so I needed some time to get used to the court,” said Sue Mei.
“There is quite a lot of drift and I was not completely comfortable with the conditions yet.”
Sue Mei also knows that carrying the BAM badge makes her a prized target for players from the states and clubs.
“Definitely there is pressure,” she said.
“We are playing against state players and club players, and they all want to beat the BAM players.”
