Chong Lee Qian stuns fourth seed as Malaysians advance in Cairo

Chong Lee Qian delivered Malaysia’s biggest upset of the day at the World Junior Championships in Cairo, beating Spain’s fourth seed Yaidel Gil to reach the boys’ singles last 32. The unseeded Malaysian won 15-12, 15-7 in just 22 minutes.

Malaysia also had winners elsewhere in the boys’ and girls’ singles, while a women’s doubles victory set up an all-Malaysian meeting in the next round. Three Malaysian boys and three girls progressed, with Teoh Sue Mei the sole Malaysian singles player named in the results to bow out.

Three Malaysian boys advance

Lee Qian will next play Denmark’s 28th seed Frederik Hinding. His win over Gil was the standout result in a strong boys’ singles showing that also saw fifth seed Kong Wei Xiang and 17th seed Lim Boon Le advance.

Wei Xiang beat the Czech Republic’s Lukas Thor 15-3, 15-6 and will face India’s Nishchal Chand next. Boon Le had a longer contest against Hong Kong’s Chan Yik Hei, recovering from a game down to win 13-15, 15-7, 16-14 in 42 minutes.

Boon Le’s next opponent is India’s Akhil Reddy Bobba, with a place in the last 16 at stake. The three Malaysians now have different challenges ahead after progressing by different routes in Cairo.

Seeded opponents beaten in girls’ singles

Lee Kay Xin added another upset for Malaysia by defeating Ukraine’s 11th seed Raiia Almalalha 15-7, 9-15, 15-10. She will meet Indonesia’s Raisya Affatunisa in her next match.

Saidatul Saadiah Muhammad also removed a seed, beating Turkiye’s 20th seed Elifnur Demir 15-3, 15-13. Her next opponent is Hong Kong’s fifth seed Ip Sum Yau.

Carine Tee advanced with a 15-10, 15-6 win over Spain’s Sara Del Castillo and will play Indonesia’s Mayla Cahya Afilian Pratiwi in the last 32. Sue Mei’s run ended against India’s 12th seed Tanvi Reddy Andluri, who won 15-12, 13-15, 15-7.

All-Malaysian doubles meeting ahead

In the women’s doubles, Leong Hwee Ling and Teoh Min Yi beat Mauritius’ Tiya Bhurtun and Elsa How Hong 15-13, 15-6. Their next match is against compatriots and 13th seeds Rachel Tan and Teh Xin Ying.

That meeting guarantees Malaysia at least one women’s doubles pair in the last 32. In singles, the next matches will determine whether Lee Qian, Wei Xiang, Boon Le, Kay Xin, Saidatul Saadiah and Carine can build on their wins in Cairo.