In U15 Boys’ Doubles, WCTC Team BC alums Victor Huang and Wenjun Ouyang faced off against Jung Yi Cau (SK) and Nestor Lin (BC) in their quarter final match. Huang and Ouyang, the number one seeds for the event, delivered a solid 21-10, 21-6 victory thanks to solid teamwork and a good eye for placing their shots.
Provincial U15 Girls’ Doubles champions Juliet Emlyn and Valeena Van Heukelom continued their meteoric rise as the next big doubles team in Canada. The cousins, 3/4 seeds for the event, faced Manitoba’s Amelie and Bodin Boissonneault in their quarter final match. Emlyn and Van Heukelom gave a commanding performance on the court, scorng a 21-8, 21-8 win to advance them to the semi finals. Stephenie Ho, who took silver in Girls’ Doubles at last week’s Provincials, partnered with Quebec’s Eliana Zhang against Alberta’s 3/4 seeds Emily Chan and Eunice Hermanto. After three games, Ho and Zhang clinched a berth in the semi finals with a close 21-19, 17-21, 21-17 victory over the Albertans.
Wendy Zhang, another Team BC alum, had a fantastic U15 Mixed Doubles match with her partner Kyle To (ON). The number two seeds faced off against Alberta’s Yunzhi Chen and Johnna Rymes, who put up a big fight after Zhang and To took the first game 21-12. The second game was an absolute marathon, and while it tested the skill and endurance of our BC athlete and her partner, Zhang and To came out on top with a 28-26 win to advance to the semis.
The unseeded Aaron Zhao gave another spectacular performance in his quarter final U17 Boys’ Singles match against 3/4 seed Desmond Wang (AB). Zhao’s remarkable speed and agility were on show for the crowd as he and Wang traded points through the first game. After squeaking a 22-20 win there, Zhao dominated the second game and clinched a spot in the semi finals with a decisive 21-14 victory.
3/4 seed Wendy Zhang returned to the court for a quarter final match against Ontario’s 5/8 seed Vania Wu in U17 Girls’ Singles. The WCTC Team BC alum delivered the powerhouse performance she has become known for, finishing Wu in just two games. Zhang’s 21-16, 21-13 win will take her into Friday’s semis, where she’ll face number one seed Katie Ho-Shue of Ontario.
Kevin Luo, BC’s Provincial Champion in U17 Boys’ Singles, is proving to be an excellent doubles player as well. As the 3/4 seed for U17 Boys’ Doubles with his partner Bryan Poon (ON), Luo found himself in a quarter final match against Andrew Choi and Alexis Nadeau of Quebec. Luo and Poon smashed their way to a 21-15, 21-14 victory and will advance to face number two seeds Mathieu Morneau and Nicolas Nguyen (QC) in the semi finals.
Wendy Zhang and Michelle Yeung, who took gold in U17 Girls’ Doubles at the BC Provincial Championships last week, faced off against Alberta’s Stephanie Cheung and Elizabeth Evans in a spirited quarter final match. 3/4 seeds Yeung and Zhang managed a decisive 21-10, 21-8 win over the Albertans and will continue their journey to the podium against number two seeds Cara De Belle and Erin O’Donaghue on Friday.
James Ho, number two in the Province for U19 Boys’ Singles and a bronze medalist in this year’s Canada Winter Games, was a force to be reckoned with in his match against Ontario’s Stephen Lau. High-energy Ho was in top form throughout the quarter final crowd-pleaser. It was a close matchup, but Ho clinched a semi final spot in the end with a 22-20, 15-21, 21-19 victory. He’ll face Ontario’s Jason Ho-Shue on Friday, the number one seed and gold medalist in Boys’ Singles from the Canada Winter Games.
Team BC teammates Kylie Cheng and Qingzi Ouyang will also advance to the semi finals for U19 Girls’ Singles after their respective wins on Thursday. Cheng, the event’s 3/4 seed, took on Quebec’s Beatrice Guay in a three-game matchup that ended 18-21, 21-15, 21-11 in Cheng’s favour. Ouyang, BC’s U19 Girls’ Singles Provincial Champion and number two seed for the event, scored an impressive 21-7, 21-14 win over Ontario’s 5/8 seed Danica Lau. Cheng will take one number one seed Kyleigh O’Donaghue (AB) in Friday’s semi finals, while Ouyang will face off against 3/4 seed Takeisha Wang.
James Ho also played a quarter final U19 Boys’ Doubles match with his partner Connor Ross Tannas from Alberta. 3/4 seeds Ho and Tannas took to the court against 5/8 seeds Stephen Lau and Quentin Tsang from Ontario, and fought hard to take a 21-19, 21-14 victory in a high-octane matchup. Ho and his partner will advance to the semi finals to take on number two seeds Austin Bauer and Ty Lindeman (AB).
Kylie Cheng and Qingzi Ouyang returned as a team for their quarter final U19 Girls’ Doubles match against Monica Cowper (AB) and Danica Lau (ON). Their rigorous training as doubles partners for the Canada Winter Games gave them a distinct advantage, as the number one seeds handily won 21-15, 21-17 over Cowper and Lau. Next, the Team BC alums will take on 3/4 seeds Joanne Chen (ON) and Kyleigh O’Donaghue (AB) in the semi finals.
Qingzi Ouyang will also advance to the semi finals for U19 Mixed Doubles, putting her in the running for a triple crown at the Nationals. Ouyang and her partner Jason Ho-Shue (ON), number two seeds for the event, dominated the court in their match against Quebec’s 5/8 seeds Antonin Bergeron and Sarah Cauchon. Ouyang and Ho-Shue’s semi final match will be against 3/4 seeds Austin Bauer and Julie Ngoc Pham (AB).
With so much at stake for our BC athletes, Friday’s semi final matches should prove to be very exciting. Stay tuned and show your support for our young athletes as they continue their journey to the podium!