PETALING JAYA, Oct 10 — Malaysia ended a nine-year wait to reach the mixed team final of the World Junior Championships after overcoming two-time champions Indonesia 2-0 in the semi-finals at Cairo International Stadium in Egypt yesterday.
The national squad, facing last year’s runners-up, had to withstand a determined Indonesian challenge before securing victory in both games.
Malaysia fell behind early when boys’ singles player Tiew Wei Jie lost 6-11 to Fardhan Rainanda, but the girls’ doubles pairing of Genevie Lim-Low Zi Yu levelled the contest with a 22-17 victory over Atresia Naufa-Aurelia Syakira.
Indonesia responded through Jolin Angelia, who narrowly defeated Carine Tee 33-32 in the girls’ singles.
However, Zi Yu-Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal to restore Malaysia’s advantage in the mixed doubles, edging Moses Andar-Reya Azzahra 44-43 before Damien Ling-Irfan Shazmir secured the opening game with a 55-49 win against Faizal Pangetsu-Anju Siahaan.
Buoyed by the first-game victory, Malaysia carried the momentum into the second game, with Wei Jie bouncing back to beat Fardhan 11-7 in the boys’ singles before Genevie-Zi Yu extended Malaysia’s lead with a convincing 22-11 win over Indonesia’s revised combination of Atresia-Halifia Usni.
Carine then gained some ground for Malaysia by overcoming Jolin 33-28 in another closely contested girls’ singles match before Zi Yu-Redzuan continued their impressive form in the mixed doubles, defeating Moses-Reya 44-37 to put Malaysia within reach of the final.
Redzuan subsequently partnered Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim in the boys’ doubles, where they completed Malaysia’s victory with a 55-42 triumph over Faizal-Anju.
Malaysia’s last appearance in the mixed team final at the championships was in 2017 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
The national team will take on either China or Thailand in the final today. — Bernama
