KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia was unable to contend with South Korea’s quality after losing 3-1 in the Sudirman Cup semi-finals held in Suzhou, China today.
World number 22 mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei started brightly in the first match winning the first set 21-11 but could not keep the momentum up against world number five Seo Seung Jae-Chae Yu Jung and lost the next two games 21-13, 21-7.
The tie was levelled 1-1 after the men’s singles when Lee Zii Jia showed imperious form to make light work of world number 69 Jeon Hyeok Jin by scores 21-11, 21-9 in 34 minutes.
Women’s singles player K. Letshanaa, ranked 71 in the world, tried her absolute best to trouble world number two An Se Young, but the tie went as expected in the way of the South Korean 21-10, 21-13 in 32 minutes.
It was all down to Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to level the tie again, but the world number two pair could not contend with the fast and flat play of scratch pair Kim Won Ho-Na Sung Seung going down in straight sets 21-12, 21-11 in 34 minutes for South Korea’s third and final point.
This is the third time Malaysia have fallen at the semi-final stage, they were second runner-up in 2009 and 2021. – The Vibes, May 20, 2023
