Shah Alam: Malaysia is poised to meet China in the final of the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships after securing a 3-1 victory over Japan in the semi-finals. This accomplishment marks Malaysia’s third consecutive appearance in the finals, positioning them just one step away from successfully defending their title.
Despite the absence of the world’s 15th-ranked Ng Tze Yong, Malaysia’s 10th-ranked Lee Zii Jia, recovering from sinusitis, took on the role of the number one men’s singles player in the semi-final against Japan. Lee contributed the opening point for Malaysia by defeating the 12th-ranked Kenta Nishimoto with a score of 21-18, 21-15, giving Malaysia a 1-0 lead.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs Kenta Nishimoto in the 2024 BATC semi-finals:
The encounter between Lee and Nishimoto marked their 10th match, with Lee maintaining a 7-3 lead in the head-to-head record.
In the second match, the initial men’s doubles showcased Malaysia’s fifth-ranked pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, facing Japan’s 15th-ranked Akira Koga and Taichi Saito. Despite losing the first game, Chia and Soh made a comeback, securing a 15-21, 21-17, 21-10 victory and extending Malaysia’s lead to 2-0.
Highlights of Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs Akira Koga/Taichi Saito in the 2024 BATC semi-finals:
The second men’s singles match unfolded as an 88-minute battle, with Malaysia’s Leong Junhao narrowly losing 21-19, 12-21, 19-21 to Japan’s Koki Watanabe. This allowed Japan to narrow the overall score to 1-2.
The decisive victory materialized in Game 4, as Malaysia’s 22nd-ranked Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin defeated Japan’s 30th-ranked Kenya Mitsuhashi and Hiroki Okamura with a score of 21-15, 21-19.
Malaysian fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the tie did not extend to the fifth match, where Eogene Ewe would have faced Japan’s Kento Momota. Momota’s impressive comeback against Kidambi Srikanth in the quarter-finals, leading Japan to a 3-2 win over India, suggested a formidable challenge for Ewe. Fortunately, Malaysia secured the overall victory in the first four matches.
The final on Sunday will witness Malaysia taking on badminton powerhouse China. In another men’s team semi-final on Saturday, China relied on all three singles matches to overcome two losses in doubles, ultimately winning 3-2 against arch-rival South Korea.
In the women’s team final, the most significant surprise of the 2024 BATC, the India team, having defeated formidable teams such as Hong Kong in the quarter-finals and Japan in the semi-finals, will face Thailand in the ultimate showdown.
