As the VICTOR Oceania Championships continues to unfold, upsets and incredible displays of grit define our players.
Day three brought Round of 16 action, along with the quarterfinals for men’s and women’s singles and mixed doubles, and it did not disappoint.
Women’s Singles
Amy Wang continues to make headlines throughout the tournament. Her quarterfinal match against her doubles partner, Smrithi Adepu is arguably the match of the tournament so far. A nail-biting encounter, the crowd remained on the edge of their seats for the entirety of the match. While Adepu won an impressive first game 21-15, Wang fought with sheer determination to come out on top in the final two games 21-17, 21-19.
Her opponent in tomorrow’s semifinal? None other than Shaunna Li. Li looks set for a chance to retain her Oceania title after a convincing win against Australia’s Faye Huo.
“I was able to take control of the match a lot easier than earlier in the day,” said Li after her quarterfinal. “But tomorrow is a new competitor, and a new style of play, so I will have to adjust.”
Tiffany Ho and Jesslyn Carrisia both won their respective quarterfinals to book their spots in the other semifinal match.
Men’s Singles
The matchup between Shrey Dhand and Jack Yu made for one of the most entertaining quarter finals today. While the reigning champion looked set to make another Oceania semi-final, Dhand had other ideas. After going down in the first set 19-21, Dhand turned up the intensity to win the next two sets 21-16,21-16 to gain his spot in the final four.
Playing back to back matches three-game matches takes its toll. Dhand said recovery was key to his success today.
“I just refuelled, rested, and tried to get myself ready mentally because Jack is a tough opponent,” Dhand said. “I’ve never beaten him before, so I was excited to get one up on him.”
A clinical performance from Edward Lau see’s him progress to the semi-finals with a 21-8, 21-11 win. Lau kept Asher Jing Jie Ooi at arm’s length with a well-balanced game, leaving a strong impression that he could make a strong pass at the title this year.
Om Neelam shocked the crowd with a gutsy win over third seed Ricky Tang in the Round of 16. The opponents last faced off in 2024, where Tang comfortably put the shuttle past Neelam. This time around, it was a matter of fitness and mindset that determined the winner.
Despite the slow start, Neelam found his footing, and although he exited the tournament in the quarterfinals, he took a lot from his matches today.
“I feel very proud to have won,” he said. “Going forward, I just need to remember no matter how bad you start you need to build yourself up. As long as you finish well, that’s all that matters–don’t lose confidence, keep going.”
The remaining semifinalists are Ricky Cheng (NZL) and Ephraim Stephen Sam (AUS).
Mixed Doubles
The match between Edward Lau/Shaunna Li and Rizky Hidayat/Gronya Somerville was a highly anticipated affair. What played out was a topsy-turvy encounter with its fair share of entertainment. Lau/Li had their moments, but it wasn’t enough to clinch the win, falling short to Hidayat/Somerville 12-21, 26-24, 11-21.
On the opposite court, Andika Ramadiansyah/Angela Yu took on Vincent Tao/Alyssa Tagle in a high speed match to remember. Tao/Tagle left it all out there on the court, diving to keep the rallies alive. While the score didn’t reflect the intensity of the match, Andika & Angela were ultimately too strong and came out on top 21-11, 21-17.
The other semifinalists are Adam Jeffrey/Laura Lim (AUS) and Ricky Cheng/Natalie Ting (NZL).
Women’s Doubles
Yanxi Liu/Natalie Ting staged a massive comeback to progress in the tournament. Their opponents? Two of the fastest rising stars in Oceania — Smrithi Adepu/Amy Wang. After trailing the first game 17-21, the more experienced (but still junior) pair of Liu/Ting edged out their opposition to forcea decider before storming to a 17-21, 22-20, 21-11 victory.
Gronya Somerville/Angela Yu showed a clinical display in their first appearance this year. With a 21-8, 21-14 win over the young pair of Ira Sameer Acharya/Alphonsa Bijomon, it’s clear the top seeded duo are just getting started.
Men’s Doubles
In an all-Australian match, Jordan Wang/Chauncey Yu ended the third seeds’, Phillip Halim/Landon Kurniawan, campaign. Despite the fantastic display of grit and strength from the seeded pair, they could not stop the momentum built by Wang/Yu. The 21-15, 21-13 win will give the winners confidence moving into tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
