BATC 2022: Malaysian women fight back to stun Japan

SHAH ALAM: The young national women's team began their Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) campaign in stunning fashion, fighting back from two games down to upset defending champions Japan 3-2 in Group Y here today.

The win, at the Setia City Convention Centre, came courtesy of heroic performances from third singles shuttler Siti Nurshuhaini Azman and the two doubles pairs of Valeree Siow-Pearly Tan and Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing.

National singles ace S. Kisona, ranked 64th in the world, went down 12-21, 16-21 to world number 72 Natsuri Nidaira before Japan raced to a 2-0 lead when world number 181 Riko Gunji crushed 2017 Asian Junior Championship silver medallist Eoon Qi Xuan, 21-17, 21-7.

Malaysia were deflated. Japan were delighted.

But then Siti Nurshuhaini, Valeree-Pearly and Anna-Mei Xing had other ideas.