YONEX-SUNRISE BWF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009 - Thailand create history

Porntip Buranaprasertsuk and Ratchanok Inthanon were the toast of the hai teamw hen they beat top seed Chen Xiaojia and China No 2 Suo Di in the semi-finals at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium on Saturday.

With an all-Thailand final on the cards, it is also Thailand’s first ever gold medal in the World Junior Championships.

Porntip took 66 minutes to end China’s dream of adding the girl’s singles title to the team event won last Monday when she triumphed 18-21, 21-18, 21-19 in the semi-final.

Not to be outdone, teammate Ratchanok was also in devastating form to subdue the challenge from Suo Di, winning in straight games 21-14, 21-18.

“This is the first time Thailand is going for gold in the World Junior Championships and I hope to be the first winner,” said Ratchanok.

“The win (against Suo Di) has also give me the motivation to play better tomorrow.”

Thailand also have a shot at gold in the mixed doubles after Maneepong Jongjit-Rodjana Chutabunditkul beat No 2 seeds Liu Peixuan-Xia Huan 21-19, 21-10 in the first match of the semi-finals.

China’s bad run continued in the second mixed doubles semi-final when Angga Pratama-Destiara Haris Della inflicted a straight games defeat to top seeds Lu Kai-Bao Yixin 21-19, 21-18.

Angga was in awesome form to keep a tight control of the match and helped by some clever play from Destiara, continuously switched tactics to score an emphatic win to book their place in the final.

Indonesia, however, were denied an all-Indonesia final in the boy’s doubles when Malaysia’s Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han stunned top seeds Angga Pratama-Yohanes Rendy Sugiarto in three games, 13-21, 21-15, 21-18 to make it a memorable night for Malaysia after Iskandar Zulkarnain also qualified for the boy’s singles final.

In the first semi-final Berry Anggriawan-Muhammad Ulinnuha beat Thailand’s Tin Caballes-Nipitphon Phuanhpuapet 21-19, 21-15 to make the final of the boy’s doubles.

In the boy’s singles, Iskandar exacted sweet revenge over Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Jen Hao, whom he lost to in the team event, with a 21-17, 7-21, 21-16 win.

Iskandar, the No 2 seed, will take on China’s top seed Tian Houwei in the final. Tian beat Japan’s Tatsuya Watanabe 22-20, 21-13.

“I was better prepared to face him today (Saturday),” said Iskandar in obvious reference to his team event outing against Jen Hao when he was beaten by the Chinese Taipei boy. Despite Iskandar’s loss, Malaysia went on to beat Chinese Taipei 3-2 in the team semi-final.

“I did want to make the same mistakes again. Against Tian (Houwei), I am fully focused on the task at hand will give it my best shot,” added Iskandar.

Iskandar’s triumph means this is the first time in 11 years that a Malaysian will feature in the boy’s singles final.

Indonesia also zoomed in on the girl’s doubles title when Suci Rizki Andini-Tiara Rosalia defeated Hong Kong’s Poon Lok Yan-Tse Ying Suet 18-21, 21-19, 21-18 and will play China’s top seeds Tang Jianhua-Xia Huan in the final.

The Chinese stopped Thailand’s Rodjana Chutabunditkul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai 21-7, 21-15.