China dominates Japan to reach Sudirman Cup final, eyes historic 14th title

Xiamen (China), May 3 (IANS) China swept Japan 3-0 in the Sudirman Cup semifinals on Saturday, securing a berth in the final against South Korea and aiming to extend their dominance in this prestigious mixed team badminton event.

The defending champion made a strong start with the mixed doubles pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeating Japan's newly formed pair, Hiroki Midorikawa and Arisa Igarashi, 21-11, 21-17. Feng, who celebrated passionately after the match, admitted the victory held personal significance, reports Xinhua.

The pair had suffered a critical loss to Japan in the 2023 semifinal -- a defeat that almost cost China the title -- before staging a dramatic comeback to win the title.

"That loss lingered in my mind. Today was about redemption," Feng told Xinhua. "Facing Japan again at this stage and delivering such a performance shows our growth," Huang added.

Shi Yuqi then delivered a masterclass in men's singles, defeating Kodai Naraoka 21-8, 21-16 in just 44 minutes.

Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei secured China's spot in the final after recovering from losing the first game to defeat Akane Yamaguchi 17-21, 21-9, 21-16.

Later on Saturday, South Korea secured a hard-fought 3-2 win over Indonesia in the other semifinal, setting up a repeat of the 2023 final where China claimed the title with a 3-0 victory.

A win on Sunday would extend China's streak to four consecutive Sudirman Cup titles and mark its 14th overall in the biennial tournament's history. "In team competitions, no one wants to be the weak link. We'll give everything tomorrow," Chen said.

China swept Malaysia 3-0 in the Sudirman Cup quarterfinals here on Friday, securing a spot in the last four of the world badminton mixed-team championship. Japan defeated Chinese Taipei 3-0.

In other quarterfinals, Jonatan Christie defeated world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn, powering Indonesia to a 3-1 victory over Thailand, while South Korea, led by Paris Olympic champion An Se-young, ousted Denmark 3-1. Japan swept Chinese Taipei 3-0 earlier on Friday.

--IANS

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