On October 10th, 2024, the Yonex World Junior Badminton Championships continued into its fourth round at the Nanchang International Sports Center in Honggutan District, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. A remarkable performance from the Chinese athletes shone through as they achieved victories in all 15 matches they participated in.
In the mixed doubles round of 16, three Chinese pairs advanced. Li Hongyi and Zhang Jiahui defeated the Indian duo of Aligra and Vennala with scores of 21-13 and 21-16, moving on to the quarterfinals. In two other exciting mixed doubles matchups, the second-seeded pair Lin Xiangyi and Liu Yuanyuan, as well as Wang Zihang and Cao Zihan, each secured straight-game victories over their Japanese opponents, Yamada Ruki and Akagi Mikako, and Yamashiro Masato and Hatazuka Satoshi.
The Chinese team dominated the women’s singles category, claiming four out of eight spots in the quarterfinals. Local favorite Yin Yiqing, competing in front of her fans, triumphed over the second seed from Thailand, Pichamon. “I feel that every time I score, I need to bring my momentum to bear and put pressure on my opponent, especially when I’m catching up,” Yin said.
In three other women’s singles matches involving Chinese players, Dai Qinyi eliminated Japan’s Yokonai Mion with scores of 21-15 and 21-9, Xu Wenjing swiftly defeated a player from Sri Lanka in straight games, and Yuan Anqi overwhelmingly won against Indonesia’s Kavisha with scores of 21-8 and 21-6.
The men’s singles arena also witnessed impressive performances from the Chinese contingent. Liu Yangming pulled off a significant upset by knocking out third seed Pakharakith of Thailand with scores of 21-12 and 21-19. Joining him in the quarterfinals were top seed Hu Zhe’an and fourth seed Wang Zijun, with Hu defeating Japan’s Kawano Toshimasa 21-13 and 21-6, while Wang showcased his clutch abilities by overcoming another Japanese opponent, Yamada Ruki, with scores of 22-20 and 21-19.
In the women’s doubles, the pair of Liu Yuanyuan and Wang Dao also displayed their skill, rallying from an 18-20 deficit to win four consecutive points against the Taiwanese duo Chen Yanfeng and Sun Liangqing in a thrilling decisive match. Other Chinese combinations, Chen Fanshutan and Liu Jiayue, as well as Jiang Peixi and Zhang Jiahui, also advanced to the quarterfinals.
The only two men’s doubles pairs from China breezed through the fourth round. The second-seeded Lin Xiangyi and Hu Keyuan defeated a Polish duo with a score of 21-7 and 21-14, while the fourth-seeded pair Chen Yongrui and Chen Zhehan secured an easy victory against the Thai team of Rajapruk and Suria, winning 21-10 and 21-13.
