China secured final berths in the mixed doubles and women’s singles events at the Badminton World Federation World Junior Championships in Cairo on Friday, advancing junior players to the championship round after tense semifinal victories.
Mixed Doubles Semifinal Battle in Cairo
During Friday’s mixed doubles semifinals, Feng Yilang and Li Menghan of China overcame Atresia Naufa Candani and Raihan Daffa Edsel Pramono of Indonesia with scores of 15-11, 16-14.
After overcoming a pair of match points to equalize at 14-14 during the second game, the Indonesian pair watched as the Chinese duo captured the next two points to seal the win.
📍Young Badminton Players from Jiangxi Help China Defend Mixed Team Title at World Junior Championships👍From October 5 to 17, Beijing Time, the 2026 BWF World Junior Badminton Championships was held in Cairo, Egypt. Yin Yiqing, Lai Yuhao and Yang Dan, young badminton players… pic.twitter.com/MO2KVfBEBN
Looking ahead to Saturday’s final, Feng said, “I want to aim for the top step of the podium. I also need to prepare well,” adding that he hoped to keep improving step by step through consistent training.
Standing in their way during the championship match will be Dian Ramadhani Mukti and Muhammad Luthfi Habibi from Indonesia, who narrowly defeated Chen Yu-Hsi and Lee Wei Ting of Chinese Taipei 13-15, 16-14, 16-14.
Women’s Singles Comebacks and Final Matchups
Zhang Yixin of China staged a comeback victory in the women’s singles event, overcoming fifth seed Ip Sum Yau representing Hong Kong, China with a scoreline of 12-15, 15-10, 15-10.
Reflecting on her comeback, Zhang said, “Even after losing the first game, the second game starts at 0-0. If you approach it as a fresh start and take it one point at a time, you won’t be affected too much by losing the opening game.”
She added, “I think anything is possible in the final, but I hope to play at my best against my opponent. What matters most is playing well, but of course it would be even better if I could achieve a good result.”
To claim the title, Zhang will next face top seed Saki Matsumoto of Japan, who likewise rebounded from an opening-game deficit to eliminate Yin Yiqing of China 10-15, 15-7, 15-9.
International Results Across Other Brackets
Fardhan Rainanda Joe pulled off an upset against French top seed Mady Sow 11-15, 15-8, 16-14, while fellow countryman Radithya Bayu Wardhana got the better of India’s Jagsher Singh Khangurra 15-6, 13-15, 15-3.
During the women’s doubles semifinal matches, second-seeded Genevie Lim and Low Zi Yu from Malaysia overcame Shi Sichen and Xiang Yujin of China 15-9, 15-11, whereas Nijika Kamata and Shizuku Kashio of Japan triumphed over Kim Min-chae and Choi Ye-da of South Korea 15-10, 15-8.
Mahiro Oku and Masato Yamashiro of Japan mounted a comeback to defeat Wei Jianzhen and Feng Yilang of China 10-15, 15-11, 15-8 in the men’s doubles competition.
Their next opponents will be Chen Ping Hsuan and Lee Wei Ting from Chinese Taipei, who advanced past Hong Kong, China representatives Yu Zhirui Jerry and Njoto Michaelangelo with scores of 15-4, 15-8 during the alternate semifinal encounter.
