JAKARTA: CHINA, bidding to win a record ninth Uber Cup title, gave Malaysia a lesson in badminton in scoring a clinical 3-0 win to qualify for the Uber Cup semi-finals at the Senayan Indoor Stadium yesterday. The mighty Chinese took less than two hours to wrap up the quarter-final tie as they continued their march towards another successful defence of the Cup. China will meet Japan in the semi-finals today. For Malaysia yesterday, except for Wong Mew Choo, the others dished out lukewarm performances. Vietnam SEA Games gold medallist Mew Choo took the fight to reigning world champion Zhang Ning before going down 4-11, 5-11. The young Malaysian forced her opponent to play long rallies in the second game and only lost out to Zhang Ning's vastly superior shot-making. “Her shots were accurate and sharp. My efforts to return the shuttle required me to use a lot of my energy,” said Mew Choo. “I was already shaking halfway through the second game. To play against a player of such a high standard like Zhang Ning, I have to increase further my level of fitness. I found out how today how far behind (in standard) I was against a player like her.” Two-time women's doubles world champions Gao Ling-Huang Sui, who despite nursing knee injuries, still powered past Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty 15-10, 15-8. It was the first match in the Uber Cup Finals for Gao Ling-Huang Sui, who had been rested since the Korean Open to allow them to recover for the Athens Olympics. Norsyahliza Baharum was a bundle of nerves in the second single match against All-England runner-up Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi gave her a 11-0 hiding in the first game and only dropped three points in the second to seal the tie for China. RISING TO THE CHALLENGE: Malaysia's Chin Eei Hui leaps to smash against the Chinese pair of Gao Ling-Hwang Sui as teammate Wong Pei Tty waits in their Uber Cup quarte-final match. The fighting Malaysians were outclassed 3-0 by the far superior Chinese. TheStar
