XIAMEN: Hosts and defending champions China booked their place in the Sudirman Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Malaysia on Friday, setting up a clash with Japan, who also advanced after beating Taiwan by the same score. South Korea and Indonesia will contest the other semi after 3-1 wins over Denmark and Thailand, res-p-ectively at the biennial mixed team championship. In a rematch of the Olympics, China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping avenged their Paris Games defeat by beating Malaysian mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei 21-17, 21-17 in the opening match. World number one Shi Yuqi then dismantled Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao 21-6, 21-14 in men’s singles, before Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei completed the sweep with a dominant 21-8, 21-7 win over Letshanaa Karupathevan in women’s singles. The remaining doubles matches were not played, with China wrapping up victory in under two hours. Japan needed three hours to overcome Taiwan, with Hiroki Midorikawa and Arisa Igarashi winning the mixed doubles 21-18 21-18 against Ye Hong-wei and Hu Ling-fang, followed by Koki Watanabe’s 21-13, 20-22, 21-14 triumph over Chou Tien-chen. Akane Yamaguchi sealed Japan’s sixth consecutive semi-final appearance by defeating Hsu Wen-chi in the women’s singles. Denmark were swept aside by South Korea. South Korea took lead as Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung overcame Denmark’s Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund in the mixed doubles, before An Se-young dominated Line Kjaersfeldt in the women’s singles, winning 21-8 21-7. Denmark fought back as Anders Antonsen beat Jeon Hyeok-jin in the men’s singles. Yet Korean women’s doubles pair Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee sealed the tie in commanding fashion against Alexandra Boje and Natasja Anthonisen. Indonesia claimed the last semi-final spot with win over Thailand, recovering after losing the opening match to win three consecutive contests. Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2025