EGYPT snuffed out Malaysia’s brief threat to retain the World Junior Championship women’s team title with a 2-0 win in the final at Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Aifa Azman took to the court for the opening singles against individual event champion Hania El Hammamy and easily won the opening set.
Aifa, who aggravated the knee injury she suffered earlier this year during her semi-final match against Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk on Thursday, had to seek treatment at the end of the third set as World No 15 Hania prevailed 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 to give Egypt a 1-0 lead.
Ainaa Ampandi then came close to putting Malaysia level in the second match against Farida Mohamed.
The Malaysian was 2-1 up after the third set and 9-8 ahead in the fourth when her racquet string snapped, causing her to lose momentum.
World No 50 Farida was decisive in the fifth game to close the match 11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-4 for the winning point.
It was Egypt’s seventh straight women’s team title since 2007, having also beaten Malaysia 2-0 in the 2017 final in New Zealand.
Aifa, who admitted that the Egyptians are a step ahead, is optimistic of seeing the national team bounce back in two years’ time.
“I think I played really well and won the first set easily. Then, she changed her game plan. I tried to keep up with the high pace but she was in good form today,” said Aifa.
“I think Ainaa also did really well. She gave it 100 per cent but was unlucky not to make it. Egypt were just too good but we will continue to work hard and come back stronger in two years.”
Ainaa described the final as an eye-opener.
“I had nothing to lose today as this is my first world juniors and I just walked on court thinking of winning,” said the 17-year-old.
“I was very nervous in the first set, as you can tell, but I came back strongly in the second and third. Unfortunately, we were a bit unlucky today.
“I learnt a lot and will look to build on this experience.”
Aifa and Ainaa will be eligible to play in the next edition of the competition.
Hania said winning both the women’s individual and team titles was the perfect way to cap her junior career.
She will be overaged for the next edition of the meet.
“I am very pleased to finish my junior career this way. It is not going to get any better than this (at junior level),” said Hania.
“We (Egypt) still have more up-and-coming players and we’ll definitely keep on winning.”
The Gold Coast in Australia will host the next edition of the men and women’s individual events as well as the men’s team tournament next July.
The individual events are held annually while the team events are held biennially.