KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 ― The national badminton squad’s hopes of making their first-ever final in the Sudirman Cup mixed team championship were dashed after they lost 3-1 to South Korea in the semi-finals in Suzhou, China today.

With Malaysia trailing 1-2, all eyes were on men’s doubles world number two pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to level the scores but they surrendered meekly to go down to a shock 12-21, 11-21 loss to Kim Won Ho-Na Sung Seung for South Korea to check into the final.

Not even the vociferous support of Malaysian supporters at the competition venue could inspire Aaron-Wooi Yik to raise their performance level.

The defeat means Malaysia could only bring home the bronze medal from the championship, which has been held since 1989.

It also allowed them to equal their previous best achievement of having reached the semi-finals in the 2009 (Guangzhou, China) and 2021 (Vantaa, Finland) editions.

In today’s semi-final against South Korea, Malaysia got off on the wrong footing when Orleans Masters champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei lost 21-11, 13-21, 7-21 to world number five Seo Seung Jae-Chae Yu Jung in mixed doubles.

However, national men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia handed Malaysia a glimmer of hope when he produced a smashing display to outplay Jeon Hyeok Jin 21-11,21-9 in just 35 minutes.

K. Letshanaa, who was being counted on to spring a surprise in women’s singles, had no answer to the superiority of world number two An Se Young, who romped to a 21-10, 21-13 win to put South Korea 2-1 up.

Although their challenge has ended, the shuttlers still achieved the semi-final target set by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).

Malaysia last beat South Korea in the Sudirman Cup in 2015, when they won a Group D tie 3-2 before losing to the same team 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

The national shuttlers will be in action again in the 2023 Malaysia Masters at the Axiata Arena here from May 23-28. ― Bernama