Record champions China and South Korea reached the final of the Sudirman Cup mixed team badminton championship after beating Japan and Thailand respectively in the semi-finals here on Saturday.
China pipped Japan 3-2 in a nail-biting thriller, while South Korea registered an impressive 3-1 victory over Thailand at the Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium.
The spirited Japanese managed to force the contest right down to the wire. But the nerves and skill of Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, in the deciding women's doubles match against Misaki Matsumoto and Ayaka Takahashi 21-12 21-19, sealed China's place in Sunday's final, reports Xinhua news agency.
Other players who helped China were singles veteran Lin Dan and the mixed doubles combine of Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen.
China are aiming to bag their seventh consecutive title and 11th overall in the biennial competition. In the final, they face South Korea, who had halted their run of four consecutive titles in 2003.
In the other semi-final match, Indonesia started strongly, with mixed doubles paring of Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai getting the better of Choi Solgyu and Chae Yoo Jung 21-16, 21-12 in the first match of the tie.
But South Korean singles specialists Son Wan Ho and Sung Ji Hyun defeated Suppanyu Avihingsanon and Ratchanok Intanon respectively to give them two crucial points.
Choi Solgyu and Seung Jae Seo won the men's doubles match against Bodin Isara and Dechapol Puavaranukroh 21-13, 21-16 to make it a successful outing for the tournament's second most successful team South Korea, who are bidding for their fourth title, with the last coming in 2003.
--IANS
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