PETALING JAYA: Malaysia secured their place in the Sudirman Cup quarter-finals after overcoming Australia 4-1 in their second Group C match on Tuesday (April 29).
Mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, the first Malaysians to step onto the court, made a successful return as a duo after a brief separation due to internal issues.
Despite the recent disruption, they showed no signs of rust, cruising past Ricky Tang-Gronya Somerville 21-8, 21-12 in just 27 minutes.
Men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh then extended Malaysia’s lead with an assured performance, brushing aside Shrey Dhand 21-9, 21-15 in 36 minutes.
“I’m very excited to play in my first Sudirman Cup and happy to deliver a point for Malaysia,” said Justin in an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“My opponent played quite well and I felt a bit of pressure, so I’m pleased to have handled the match well.”
Women’s singles player K Letshanaa sealed the tie for Malaysia with a commanding 21-6, 21-8 victory over world No. 126 Teoh Kai Qi.
Although the win was already secured, Malaysia maintained their momentum as Asian champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik produced another dominant display to dispatch Jack Yu-Frederick Zhao 21-8, 21-9 in the men’s doubles.
Australia earned a consolation point through the women’s doubles, with Somerville returning to the court alongside Angela Yu to beat Go Pei Kee-Carmen Ting 21-15, 21-18.
The win confirmed Malaysia’s place in the last eight after opening their campaign with a 5-0 rout of France.
Malaysia’s final group match against Japan on May 1 will determine the Group C winners.
