Yesterday was like any other for 13-year-old Amy Wang, it was spent at school. But as she passed the gates after the final bell, her phone buzzed with the text she had been hoping for; she had been upgraded from the reserves to WS qualifying at the SATHIO Group Australian Badminton Open.
The young kiwi turned heads last month when she upset Oceania WS Champion, Shaunna Li (NZL) at the MAXX North Harbour International 2025.
Hungry for more experience on the global stage, she boarded a flight with her mum late last night to be in Sydney for this morning’s qualifying matches.
“When I got home from school, I had to pack my bag as quickly as I could,” she said. “All of the tournaments I’ve been a part of haven’t been this professional. I’m really keen to play on such a big stage and play against such good players that I have seen on TV.”
After today, she is now one step closer. In a commanding display, Wang stormed to a 21-2, 21-4 win over Australia’s Ria Bairy in her qualification match.
“The match went really well, especially because I had to adjust quickly, as I didn’t get a chance to practice in this arena,” she explained.
She will now face Wong Ling Ching (MAS) in tomorrow’s round of 32
Another rising Oceania star also booked his spot in the main draw.
Australia’s Jayden Lim bested two opponents to secure his spot in the MS round of 32.
This is the first time the 17-year-old has set foot into the QuayCentre arena, and it was a steep learning curve.
“I’m a little bit nervous because I’m still a junior and it’s the big stage,” Lim admitted. “It feels pretty good to make a Super 500 main draw, but I’m still getting used to the lighting and the courts.
“The main thing is to give it my best and leave it out there on the court.”
Women’s Doubles Delivers Drama
In the round women’s doubles round of 32, Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari toppled fifth seeds, Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela (IND) with a decisive 21-10, 21-14 win. Kusuma and Puspitasari are both ranked in the top thirty globally, just in separate partnerships.
The pair only began playing together in September and are bound to make an impact in their final HSBC BWF World Tour event as a duo for 2025.
In arguably the biggest upset of the day, USA’s Francesca Corbett/Jennie Gai scored the victory over world No. 11 Teng Chun Hsun/Yang Chu Yun with a 21-19, 21-14 performance.
Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for the home crowd, as Oceania’s highest-ranked pair, Gronya Somerville/Angela Yu (AUS), failed to progress in the competition.
After stretching to a first-game lead, the Falcons struggled to keep up with their opponents, Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum (INA) in the second and third.
They exited the competition after a 21-17, 14-21, 15-21 loss.
