# Zii Jia falls to unseeded Indonesian Chico in men’s singles semi-final
# No 1 seed Kantaphon of Thailand also stumbles in the semis
# Chinese top seeds too strong for Teng Jie-Ee Wei in mixed doubles
By Rizal Abdullah
Malaysia’s best hope of winning a gold medal in the BWF World Junior Championships in Bilbao through Lee Zii Jia in the men’s singles disappeared in the semi-final when the No 2 seed suffered a surprise defeat to Indonesia’s unseeded Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.
The lanky Malaysian was below in his match in the 40 minutes he was on court. The defeat was a bitter a pill to swallow for the Malaysian who had beaten the Indonesian in this year’s Asian Junior Championships (Under-19) in Bangkok in July.
More recently Zii Jia also came off 21-15, 21-11 winner over Chico in the mixed team quarter-finals with Malaysia winning 3-1 over Indonesia, runners-up in the event in Lima, Peru last year.
It will be a Indonesia-China final in the men’s singles when top seed Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand was upset by fifth seed Sun Feixiang in straight sets 21-9, 21-13 in 39 minutes.
Malaysia also failed to make the final in the mixed doubles. No 16 seeds Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei succumbed to nerves against Chinese top seeds He Jiting-Du Yue in their 14-21, 11-21 defeat in only 27 minutes.
The women’s singles final will be between Thailand’s No 3 seed Pornpawee Chochuwong who struggled past unseeded Japanese Natsuki Oie 27-25, 21-19 in a 57-minute match.
The Thai will face No 2 seed Chen Yufei of China who had an easier match against Korea’s Kim Ga-eun winning 21-12, 21-17 in 37 minutes.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles
Sun Feixiang (Chn) beat Kantaphon Wangcharoen (Tha) 21-9, 21-13
Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo (Ina) beat Lee Zii Jia (Mas) 21-19, 21-18
Men’s doubles
Han Chengkai-Zhou Haodong (Chn) beat Pakin Kuna-Anuvit-Natthapat Trinkajee (Tha) 21-15, 21-12
Lee Hong-sub-Lim Su-min (Kor) beat Fan Qiuyue-Ren Xiangyu (Chn) 21-15, 17-21, 22-20
Women’s singles
Chen Yufei (Chn) beat Kim Ga Eun (Kor) 21-12, 21-17
Pornpawee Chochuwong (Tha) beat Natsuki Oie (Jpn) 27-25, 21-19
Women’s doubles
Da Yue-Xu Ya (Chn) beat Kim Ga-eun-Kim Hyang-im (Kor) 21-15 21-8
Sayaka Hobara-Nami Matsuyama (Jpn) beat Yulfira Barkah-Jauza Fadhila Sugiarto (Ina) 21-14, 21-13
Mixed doubles
He Jiting-Du Yue (Chn) beat Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (Mas) 21-14, 21-11
Zhou Haodong-Hu Yuxiang (Chn) beat Park Kyung-hoon-Kim Hye-jeong (Kor) 21-17, 21-18
