INDIAN GIRL CONTINUES GIANT-KILLING RUN AT WORLD JUNIORS
by Mike Grossman (from information supplied by Sheila Patel at the World Junior Championships Press Desk)

November 23, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - Aparna Popat of India continues to surprise in the female singles event at the world junior championships of badminton in Silkeborg, Germany.

The unseeded young Indian player today felled top-seed Lee Kyong Won of Korea in the semifinals to gain an even chance for a world junior title. She came back after dropping the first game to Lee 4-11 and won the next two 11-5 and 11-3 to continue her giant-killing run at the tourney.

In the quarterfinals, Popat had defeated the 3-4 seed Judith Meulendijks of the Netherlands 11-0 and 11-9. In the round-of-16, she had accounted for middle-seed Zhu Yunyi of China 11-3, 7-11 and 11-9.

Popat faces another tough hurdle in the finals, the second seed Yu Hua of China. Yu had to struggle to get past another surprising non-seed, Peng Ju Ju of Taipei but she managed to win her semifinal match 11-4, 6-11 and 11-3.

In her quarterfinal, Yu beat 5-8 seed Lee Soon Deuk of Korea in another struggle 11-3, 8-11 and 11-3. Peng had defeated Gong Ruina of China in still another three-gamer 4-11, 11-7 and 11-9.