KUALA LUMPUR: Harith Danial Jefri and four other Malaysians advanced to the finals of the Asian Junior Squash Championships in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday.
Harith was the first to secure his spot, defeating South Korea's second seed Jooyoung Na 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10 in the boys' Under-19 semi-finals.
The third-seeded Sarawakian will face top seed Hamza Khan of Pakistan in the final on Saturday.
Compatriot M. Nickhileswar defeated Pakistan's Azan Ali 11-6, 11-6, 11-8 in the Under-17 semi-final and will take on Abdullah Nawaz, another Pakistani, for the title.
In the Under-15 category, top seed Raziq Putra Fakhrur Razi eliminated Abdullah Zaman of Pakistan 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 and will face second seed Shiven Agarwal of India in the final.
Top seed U. Thanussa overcame fourth seed Leung Ka Huen of Hong Kong 11-6, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6 to set up a match with second seed Akari Midorikawa of Japan in the girls' Under-19 final.
Midorikawa upset second seed Goh Zhi Xuan 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8 in the semi-finals.
Top seed Harleein Tan defeated compatriot Yek Rui Jean 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 and will face second seed Loh Pui Yin Chloe of Hong Kong in the girls' Under-15 final.
Results
Semi-finals (Malaysian unless stated):
Boys' Under-19: Harith Danial Jefri bt Jooyoung Na (Kor) 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10.
Under-17: Abdullah Nawaz (Pak) bt Altamis Aqhar Sallam Sufian 11-4, 14-12, 11-6; M. Nickhileswar bt Azan Ali (Pak) 11-6, 11-6, 11-8.
Under-15: Raziq Putra Fakhrur Razi bt Abdullah Zaman (Pak) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6.
Under-13: Sohail Adnan (Pak) bt Ifwat Zulkifli 11-8, 11-6, 11-2; Huzaifa Shahid (Pak) bt Julius Tan 11-2, 11-8, 11-5.
Girls' Under-19: U. Thanussa bt Leung Ka Huen (Hkg) 11-6, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6; Akari Midorikawa (Jpn) bt Goh Zhi Xuan 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8.
Under-17: Ena Kwong (Hkg) bt Doyce Lee 11-9, 11-7, 11-5; Tang Helen (Hkg) Whitney Isabelle Wilson 11-6, 8-1, 11-6, 15-13.
Under-15: Harleein Tan bt Yek Rui Jean 11-6, 11-5, 11-6; Loh Pui Yin Chloe (Hkg) bt Ooi Wen Min 11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7.
Under 13: M. Goushika (Ind) bt Maisarah Khairul Nizam 11-6, 6-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6.