China may have taken a beating in the mixed team and failed to retain the title they had won four times in a row from 2013 but the Chinese are not likely to return home empty handed after their strong showing in the individual events.
The mighty Chinese, who are in the process of rebuilding their senior and junior teams, are in the final of four individual events – the boys' and girls' singles and also the doubles events in both categories.
In the semi-finals played at the Jaya Raya Sport Hall in Bintaro, Jakarta on Saturday the Chinese showed that they are not ready to take a back seat in the Badminton Asia Juniors meet after making a clean sweep in Bangkok last year.
Unseeded Bai Yupeng sent fourth seed Chen Chi Ting of Chinese Taipei crashing out with a 21-13, 21-13 win in 45 minutes. In the final Yupeng will face sixth seed Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia.
The Malaysian staged a strong recovery lost the first game 19-21 but forced a decider with a 21-14 win in the second game. He then kept his cool in a ding-dong battle to snatch a 23-21 win in the third.
The women's singles saw China's fourth seed Han Yue romp past Malaysia's unseeded Eoon Qi Xuan 21-11, 21-17 and will face Thailand's third seed Pattarasuda Chaiwan for the title. The Thai subdued Singapore's second seed Yeo Jia Min 15-21, 21-17, 21-17 in a 63 minute match.
In the men's doubles China's hopes lie with Di Zijian-Wang Chang. They beat Malaysia's Chia Wei Jie-Ng Tze Yong 23-21, 21-17 to keep their Sunday final date against Korean second seeds Lee Sang-min-Na Sung-seung. The Koreans stopped compatriots Shin Tae-yang-Wang Chan 21-18, 10-21, 21-9.
Liu Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting will face Koreans Baek Ha-na-Lee Yu-rim in the women's doubles final after both pairs broke the hearts of the home fans by defeating their respective Indonesian opponents.
Xuanxuan-Yuting upstaged fourth seeds Jauza Fadhila Sugiarto-Ribka Sugiarto 21-16, 21-17 while Ha-na-Yu-rim pulled off an upset 21-18, 21-12 win over seconds seeds Agatha Imanuela-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.
Indonesia, however, will feature in the mixed doubles final. Fifth seeds Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti defeated seventh seeds Wan Chan-Kim Min-ji of Korea 21-17, 22-20.
Another Korean hurdle – Na Sung-seong- Seonh Ah-yeong – awaits the Indonesians in the final after the Koreans beat compatriots Kang Min-hyuk-Baek Ha-na in a 55-minute semi-final encounter.
RESULTS (SEMI-FINALS)
Men's singles
Leong Jun Hao (Mas) beat Kunlavut Viditsarn (Tha) 19-21, 21-14, 23-21
Bai Yupeng (Chn) beat Chen Chi Ting (Tpe) 21-13, 21-13
Men's doubles
Di Zijian-Wang Chang (Chn) beat Chia Wei Jie-Ng Tze Yong (Mas) 23-21, 21-13
Lee Sang-min-Na Sung-seung (Kor) beat Shin Tae-yang-Wang Chan (Kor) 21-18, 10-21, 21-19
Women's singles
Pattarasuda Chaiwan (Tha) beat Yeo Jia Min (Sgp) 15-21, 21-17, 21-17
Han Yue (Chn) beat Eoon Qi Xuan (Mas) 21-11, 21-17
Women's doubles
Liu Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting (Chn) beat Jauza Fadhila Sugiarto-Ribka Sugiarto (Ina) 21-16, 21-17
Baek Ha-na-Lee Yu-rim (Kor) beat Agatha Imanuela-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Ina) 21-18, 21-12
h Ee Wei (Mas)
Mixed doubles
Wang Chan-Kim Min-ji (Kor) beat Fan Qiuyue-Liu Xuanxuan (Chn) 14-21, 22-20, 21-15
Na Seung-sung-Seong Ah-yeong (Kor) beat Dhruv Kapila-Mithula U.K. (Ind) 21-8, 21-11
Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Ina) beat Man Wei Chong-Tan Seuh Jeou (Mas) 21-18, 19-21, 21-17
Kang Min-hyuk-Baek Ha-na (Kor) beat Chang Yee Jun-Pearly Tan Koong Le (Mas) 21-18, 21-14
