Tianer Yu pushed a top-100 player to deuce in the fifth before exiting the WTT Feeder Bangkok.

Up against Tsai Yun-En (WR 92) of Chinese Taipei, Yu (WR 336) made a fast start and took the first game 11-4, never trailing and winning six points in a row from 5-4.

She led the second 8-6 but saw her opponent win five of the next six points, and Tsai then won eight out of nine points from 4-3 down in the third to move in front in the match.

It was Yu’s turn to hit a purple patch in the fourth, with five successive points from 5-5 setting her on her way to winning it 11-8.

The fifth was tight and Yu led 5-4 at the changeover, but Tsai hit the front and brought up two match points. Yu saved both, but could do nothing about the next one as Tsai clinched the game 12-10 and the match to seal a last-16 place.

It was Yu’s second event in quick succession in the Thai capital, having competed at the Youth Contender a few days earlier.

Yu, ranked No 96 on the Junior list, made it through the group stage as runner-up, beating opponents from Vietnam and Sri Lanka but losing in four to Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul (WR 115) of the host nation.

In the round of 16, her opponent was Aoba Takahashi (WR 50) of Japan, who never let Yu get a foothold in the match as she won in three straight.

Results

WTT Youth Contender Bangkok

Under-19 Girls’ Singles
Qualifying group 8
Tianer Yu bt Ngo Thuy Tien (VIE) 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7)
Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul (THA) bt Yu 3-1 (11-1, 10-12, 11-3, 11-2)
Yu bt Nethuli Nimnara (SRI) 3-0 (11-2, 11-1, 11-1)

Round of 16
Aoba Takahashi (JPN) bt Yu 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-7)

WTT Feeder Bangkok

Women’s Singles
Round of 32
Tsai Yun-En (TPE) bt Tianer Yu 3-2 (4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10)