KUALA LUMPUR: Low Zi Yu continued her remarkable run at the World Junior Championships after securing a third consecutive girls' doubles medal, this time alongside Genevie Lim in Cairo today.
The second seeds lived up to their billing by sweeping aside Hong Kong's fifth seeds Au-Yeung Wing Chi-Chu Wing Chi 15-7, 15-7 in the quarter-finals to guarantee Malaysia at least a bronze medal.
The victory was also the perfect response from Zi Yu after she and Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal suffered a painful exit in the mixed doubles last 16 earlier in the day.
The top seeds and reigning Asian junior champions had taken the opening game against South Korea's Jeon Seong Been-Kim Min Chae before eventually going down 11-15, 17-15, 15-13 in 39 minutes.
Zi Yu, however, quickly picked herself up alongside Genevie to remain in the hunt for the elusive world junior gold.
She was girls' doubles runner-up with Dania Sofea Zaidi in 2024 before taking silver again alongside Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan last year.
Genevie-Zi Yu, who were also bronze medallists at the Asian Junior Championships earlier this year, will next face China's 15th seeds Shi Si Chen-Xiang Yu Jin for a place in the final.
Malaysia narrowly missed out on another medal in the boys' doubles.
Second seeds Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim-Ahmad Redzuan started strongly by taking the opening game against Japan's sixth seeds Mahiro Oku-Masato Yamashiro, but the Japanese pair fought back to end the Malaysians' campaign in 7-15, 15-11, 15-10.
Lim Boon Le also bowed out in the boys' singles quarter-finals, losing 15-8, 15-11 to Indonesia's Radithya Bayu Wardhana.
In mixed doubles, Irfan M Shazmir-Genevie came agonisingly close to joining the medal winners before China's Feng Yi Lang-Li Meng Han prevailed 15-8, 13-15, 16-14.
Malaysia's hopes of reaching Saturday's finals now rest on Genevie-Zi Yu, who will look to turn another guaranteed medal into a brighter colour.
Results
* Malaysia unless stated
Last 16
Boys' singles: Lim Boon Le bt Riyan Malhan (UAE) 11-15, 15-10, 18-16; Jagdish Singh Khan Gurra (Ind) bt Chong Li Qian 15-9, 15-8.
Doubles: Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal-Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim bt Stephen James Pantuan-Roaquin Mari Ramos (Phi) 15-9, 15-4; Njoto Michaelangelo-Jerry Yu Zhi Rui (HK) bt Damien Ling-Irfan Shazmir 15-13, 15-12.
Girls' singles: Saki Matsumoto (Jpn) bt Carine Tee 16-14, 15-3.
Doubles: Low Zi Yu-Genevie Lim bt Aanya Bisht-Angel Punera (Ind) 15-13,15-12; Atresia Naufa Candani-Adelia Nirul (Ina) bt Rachel Tan-Teh Xin Ying 13-15, 15-12, 15-6.
Mixed doubles: Irfan Shazmir-Genevie Lim bt Mahiro Matsumoto-Aoi Banno (Jpn) 15-6, 15-3; Jeong Seong Been-Kim Min Chee (Kor) bt Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal-Low Zi Yu 11-15, 17-15, 15-13.
Q-finals
Boys'singles: Radithya Bayu Wardana (Ina) bt Lim Boon Le 15-8, 15-11.
Doubles: Mahiro Oku-Masato Yamashiro (Jpn) bt Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal-Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim 7-15, 15-11, 15-10.
Women's doubles: Low Zi Yu-Genevie Lim bt Au Yeong Wing Chi-Chu Wing Chi (HK) 15-7, 15-7.
Mixed doubles: Feng Yi Lang-Li Meng Han (Chn) bt Irfan Shazmir-Genevie Lim 15-8, 13-15, 16-14.
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