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JAKARTA, May 12: China's head coach predicted a fourth consecutive Uber Cup victory for his all-conquering women's badminton team on Wednesday after they cruised into the semifinals with a crushing victory over Malaysia.
The Chinese dispensed with the services of world number one Gong Ruina for the lopsided quarterfinal, but Zhang Ning and Zhou Mi - ranked second and third - and number two doubles pairing Gao Ling and Huang Sui had little trouble dispatching the 11th seeds in straight games.
Elsewhere, Indonesia were bundled out after a 3-1 loss to second-seeded South Korea, putting even more pressure on the men's team to defend the title they have held since 1994.
Thousands of fans streamed into the Senayan Indoor Stadium for the much anticipated Thomas Cup quarterfinal grudge match against arch-rivals Malaysia. Meanwhile, Denmark and Japan were both taken to the wire, by the Netherlands and Taiwan respectively, before triumphing 3-2 in the other Uber Cup quarterfinals.
Japan's women will meet China and Denmark are up against South Korea in Thursday's semis.
Results (quarterfinals):
Uber Cup (women)
China 3 Malaysia 0
Zhang Ning bts Wong Mew Choo 11-4, 11-5
Gao Ling/Huang Sui bt Chin Eei Hui/Wong Pei Tty 15-8, 15-5;Zhou Mi bts Norsyahliza Baharum 11-0, 11-3.
South Korea 3 Indonesia 1
Jun Jae Yuri bts Silvi Antarini 11-4, 11-1; Seo Yoon Hee bts Maria Kristin 11-5, 11-9; Firdasari Adrianti bts Lee Yun Hwa 9-11, 11-6, 11-7; Lee Hyo Jung/Hwang Yu Mi bt Jo Novita/Lita Nurlita 14-17, 15-1, 15-12.
Japan 3 Taiwan 2
Yonekura Kanako bts Cheng Shao Chieh 11-5, 11-9; Chien Yu Chin/Cheng Wen Hsing bt Chikako Nakayama/Keiko Yoshitomi 15-10, 15-8; Huang Chia Chi bts Kaori Mori 11-4, 8-11, 11-5; Shizuka Yamamoto/Kumiko Ogura bt Chang Yun Ju/Yang Chia Chen 15-10, 15-10; Miho Tanaka bts Huang Chia Hsin 11-5, 11-0.
Denmark 3 Netherlands 2
Yao Jie bts Camilla Martin 11-8, 8-11, 11-8; Tine Rasmussen bts Karina de Wit 11-7, 5-11, 11-4; Judith Meulendijks bts Camilla Sorensen 11-5, 11-8; Rikke Olsen/Ann-Lou Jorgensen bt Lotte Jonathans-Bruil/Karina de Wit 15-6, 12-15, 15-2; Mette Schjoldager/Pernille Harder bt Judith Meulendijks/Yao Ji 15-5, 15-10. AFP
