SINGAPORE – Singaporean shuttler Yeo Jia Min won her first title of the year on Sunday (Mar 5) after capturing the Yonex Dutch Junior International crown.

The top-seeded 18-year-old, currently no. 2 in the world junior rankings, beat no. 5 Pattarasuda Chaiwan of Thailand 21-16, 21-15 in the singles’ final at the Duinwijck Hall in Haarlem.

It is the third Under-19 women’s singles title triumph of her career.

“I am happy to be able to win this title and want to thank everyone, including the Singapore Badminton Association, the Singapore Sports Institute, and my family and friends for their support,” Yeo told TODAY.

“I will continue to do my best and hope that this competition can be another stepping stone for more wins in the near future.”

Yeo claimed her first professional title at the Yonex Sunrise Vietnam Grand Prix last July, where she beat three top-100 opponents. She followed that by capturing the U-19 Jaya Raya Yonex Sunrise Junior Grand Prix title in September.

Ranked 88th in the world currently, Yeo is regarded as one of Singapore’s best prospects and put her studies on hold to train full-time at the start of last year.

Her latest triumph comes after her exits in the round of 32 in January’s Malaysia Masters and round of 16 in February’s Thailand Masters tournaments this year.

Yeo’s next assignment is the Yonex German Junior International tournament in Berlin, where she is also the top seed. She plays her first match against German Lea Schwarz on Thursday (Mar 9).