The Trans-Tasman Challenge 2022 brings together the top under-19s from Australia and New Zealand in a brand-new initiative linked to Tier 1 of Badminton Oceania’s Player Development programme.
Following their 4-1 victory in this morning’s first test match, Australia walked into the second with confidence at BadmintonWorx Yennora, opening with the men’s singles.
Men’s Singles
The two players went head-to-head in a heated first game which was anyone’s for the taking. Long, fast and flat rallies eventually became a more one-sided affair as Jack ran away with the momentum in the second game.
- Jack Yu (AUS) vs Chris Benzie (NZL) 22-20 21-11
Women’s Singles
Having lost this morning’s women’s singles match, New Zealand’s Victoria Guo showed that she can learn from her mistakes. In an exact repeat of this morning, Victoria found a more consistent rhythm to reach the four corners as she earned her revenge against Australia’s Sydney Go in two games.
- Victoria Guo (NZL) vs Sydney Go (AUS) 21-18 21-14
“I went on to the court with a plan and stuck to the strategy which paid off in the end. It’s nice to show that we can still put up a fight against the Australians, many of the games have been really close! I think we’re all close on and off the court which helps us stick together as a team and support each other – our attitude for tomorrow’s match will be no different”, says Victoria.
Men’s Doubles
Doubling up on his win from this morning, Ricky Tang partnered up with Otto Zhao this afternoon to secure another comfortable victory in the men’s doubles.
- Ricky Tang/Otto Zhao (AUS) vs Chris Benzie/Jaden Mingoa (NZL) 21-15 21-10
Women’s Doubles
Australia’s Sydney Go and Yuelin Zhang managed to avenge the New Zealanders who had earlier defeated their Australian teammates in this morning’s match. Despite a closer first game, Sydney and Yuelin refused to give up the net as they persisted with a relentless attacking play that saw them power through the second.
- Sydney Go/Yuelin Zhang (AUS) vs Berry Ng/Camellia Zhou (NZL) 21-15 21-8
Mixed Doubles
The 15-year-old kiwis put on an inspiring display on day one of the test match series. However, their more experienced opponents in this evening’s tie (Jack and Dania) poured salt on the wound to overcome the New Zealanders and secure another 4-1 win and overall victory in the inaugural Trans Tasman Challenge.
- Jack Yu/Dania Nugroho (AUS) vs Raphael Deloy/Nanna Siegemund (NZL) 21-11 21-13
“We’re feeling OK with the win, although we could have played better in the first, we played really well in the second. After playing in the Commonwealth Games, I think I have benefited from understanding and reading the tactical game much better, which is the biggest difference between the junior and senior game“, says Jack Yu.
“This is one of my first international events since 2019, other than the Continental Championships earlier this year. It helps with my confidence and our experience as a pair, especially heading into the World Junior Championships later this month“, says Dania.
Test match 3
New Zealand will return to the court tomorrow in the third test match, determined to prevent a 3-0 whitewash. The third and final test match begins at 1pm on Sunday 2 October 2022.
You can watch all five matches live and for free on Badminton Oceania’s YouTube Channel – click here to watch.
All photos from test matches one and two are available to view on Badminton Oceania’s Facebook page. Join the conversation by using the event hashtag #TransTasmanChallenge22
