Badminton: Singapore's Yeo Jia Min advances to world championships quarter-final

SINGAPORE — Singaporean shuttler Yeo Jia Min became Singapore's first women's singles player to reach the quarter-finals of the BWF World Championships after defeating Vietnam's Vu Thi Trang in three sets on Thursday (Aug 22).

The 20-year-old, who overcame the world number 74 21-15, 14-21, 21-16 in a match that lasted more than an hour, said the achievement made her "happy and excited".

"In the second game I started off slower and she was able to be more consistent," she said. 

However, Yeo rallied and closed out the win against the Vietnamese shuttler, sinking to her knees in relief as Vu's shot hit the net, sealing her entry to the next round.

"I felt relieved because I had been determined to win," said Yeo. 

"I had felt collected and focused on the match, and reminded myself about the things that I can control," Yeo added.

Earlier in the tournament, Yeo defeated world No 1 Akane Yamaguchi at the world championships in Basel, Switzerland.

Yeo, who is 32nd in the world rankings, will face Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon in the next round. Intanon defeated Indonesian Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 18-21 23-21 21-10.

The Singaporean won her first title of the year earlier this month after triumphing in the women’s singles finals at the Hyderabad Open. CNA

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