BEIJING, May 13: As China, South Korea, Indonesia and Denmark prepared for this weekend’s semifinals and finals action, England beat Hong Kong 3-1 on Friday to secure fifth place at the biennial Sudirman Cup. Sweden, meanwhile, were relegated from the eight-nation division one after losing 3-0 to Thailand. Their spot at the 2007 world mixed team badminton championships will be taken by Malaysia, who beat Japan 3-1 to win promotion.
On Saturday, Group 1A winners Denmark will meet Indonesia, who finished second in Group 1B, in the first semi-final of the 9th Sudirman Cup.
In the second semifinal, four-time champions China have the chance to avenge their 2003 loss to South Korea.
Results:
Group 1 - 5th/6th playoff:
England 3 Hong Kong 1
Mixed doubles: Robert Blair/Gail Emms (ENG) bt Ng Wei/Li Wing Mui (HKG) 15-0, 15-3.