15 May 2004	Saturday	24 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

JAKARTA, May 14: China stayed on course for their first Thomas and Uber Cup double in 14 years on Friday as their men's team romped into the final with a 3-0 blitz of South Korea.

Their women had already qualified for the Uber Cup final with an effortless 3-0 victory over Japan.

World number one Lin Dan came through a tough opening game to beat top Korean Lee Hyun Il 15-11, 15-2 before Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, the world's second-ranked doubles pair, triumphed 15-13, 15-11 against Lee Dong Soo and Kim Dong Moon.

Tall left-hander Bao Chunlai, the world number four, then battered Shon Seung Mo into submission 15-2, 15-5 with his trademark heavy smashes and pinpoint drops.

The men's top seeds, who are all unbeaten here, will face Denmark who beat Indonesia 3-2 for the Thomas Cup on Sunday.

Elsewhere South Korea's coach admitted his women's team have little chance of dislodging Uber Cup champions China and said it was a "miracle" his players had reached Saturday's final.

The South Koreans won a thrilling semi-final against Denmark late Thursday thanks largely to the heroics of 18-year-old Lee Yun-Hwa, who delivered both a singles and deciding doubles victory after being picked to play twice at the last minute.

Lee later insisted she had not felt any pressure despite the big occasion. But coach Kim Joong-Su did not give his team much chance against the mighty Chinese, hot favourites for a fourth consecutive title.

He said he was not sure whether the exhausted Lee would have the energy to play twice again after the marathon five-and-a-half-hour semi.

South Korea start as massive underdogs against red-hot China, who waltzed through to the final without a single player losing.

In contrast with South Korea's gruelling semi, China were largely untroubled by Japan as the world number one and two singles players Gong Ruina and Zhang Ning, and second-ranked doubles pairing Gao Ling and Huang Sui delivered another clinical victory.

Uber Cup semifinal results

China beat Japan 3-0

South Korea beat Denmark 3-2

Thomas Cup semifinal results

China 3 South Korea 0

Denmark 3 Indonesia 2-AFP