17 year-old Ser Lin Qian gave the local crowd something to cheer about when she finished 2nd in the Girls U19 Singles event at the WTT Youth Star Contender Singapore 2024 on Sunday afternoon, when she lost to China’s Qin Yuxuan, 11-7, 11-2, 12-10 in the final.

The result was a repeat of their earlier Group Stage match, where Qin had also won 3-0.

There was no shame in the defeat, as the 2022 Sportsgirl of the Year had already surpassed expectations, having defeated three Chinese opponents on her road to the final.

After finishing second in her group with a record of 2 wins and a loss, she faced China’s top seed, Xu Yi in the Round of 16, where she came from behind to beat the Chinese, 3-1.

She then faced Zong Geman in the Quarterfinals, and beat her in straight sets, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9.

In the semifinals, she was drawn against Zhang Xiangyu, and it seemed that she was on the verge of exiting the competition when she found herself 2-0 down. However, the Singapore teen pulled off an amazing comeback, as she dug deep to seal a 3-2 victory.

“My goal for this competition was actually to get out of the group stage, and I am really happy as I did not think that I would reach the final. I’m glad that I actually played my best and really enjoyed myself”, said the youngster.

This was her first WTT Youth Star Contender medal, having previously won the WTT Youth Contender Vila Real Under 19 Singles title in 2022, and both the U19 and U17 singles titles at the WTT Youth Contender Metz, also in 2022, while also winning the Girls U15 title at the WTT Youth Contender Lignano in 2021.