2025-10-07,KUALA LUMPUR

The new 45-point scoring system at the World Junior Mixed Team Championship was at a frantic pace, but shuttler Tan Zhi Yang felt that he was still not fast enough in his doubles matches in Malaysia's opening 2-0 (45-23, 45-14) win over Slovakia on Monday.

The actual playing time of the entire Group C tie was only 47 minutes, but the intervals between the five matches in both games stretched the duration to nearly 80 minutes.

Each game consisted of five nine-point matches: boys' singles and doubles, girls' singles and doubles, and mixed doubles.

In the first game, Zhi Yang partnered Lo Zhi Heng and played against Andrej Macek-Andrej Suchy in the boys' doubles, winning 9-4 in five minutes. In the second game, he played in the mixed doubles with Niole Tan, where their 9-5 win over Alex Petrovic-Lea Kysilicova lasted only four minutes.

"We cannot slow down in the new scoring and must attack straight away when we go onto the court. Zhi Heng and I need to improve our speed as our start is still slow," said Zhi Yang.

"We used the tie against Slovakia to test the feel of the court and also get adjusted to the fast shuttles used."

Malaysia also took the opportunity to test a new girls' doubles pairing due to the absence of Dania Sofea Zaidi, who underwent anterior cruciate ligament surgery a few weeks before the World Junior Championships.

Low Zi Yu combined with Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan in the first game and with Intan Maisarah Hatta in the second game in the opening tie against Slovakia.