Defending champions Japan kept on track for their successive final in the Badminton Asia Tong Yun Kai Cup with a 3-0 win over Malaysia in their quarter-final match at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wanchai, Hong Kong China on Friday.
Japan will now play third seeds Indonesia in Saturday's semi-finals. The Indonesians, beaten quarter-finalists at the last edition in Ho Chi Minh City in 2017, went one better this time around, brushing aside Singapore also by a 3-0 margin.
Malaysia, however, gave Japan a tough time in the men's doubles for their first point.
Malaysian youngsters Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin once again lacked the sustaining power – falling apart in the second game and the decider after taking the first at 21-19. The Japanese won the next two 21-16, 21-15 in 63 minutes.
Aya Ohori then took the court in the women's singles against Ho Yen Mei. After winning the first game easily at 21-9, Ohori's experience was the turning point as she snuffed out Yen Mei's resistance for a 25-23 win.
Any hopes of a fightback by Malaysia disappeared as Cheam June Wei crumbled in three games in the men's singles -losing 21-13, 21-23, 15-21 to Kanta Tsuneyama in an hour-long battle.
Japan team manager Park Joo Bong, however, is not rating his team's chances in the semi-finals.
"This is not our strongest team. Indonesia has its strength and I would rate it as a 50-50 chance for both teams," said Joo Bong.
Indonesia made the last four but surprise quarter-finalists Singapore, who beat sixth seeds India 3-2 in the group again showed tremendous fighting spirit before bowing out.
In the men's doubles, Singapore's scratch pair Loh Kean Hean-Toh Hai Zhuo were denied a big win against Asian Games silver medallists Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto. The Indonesians won 21-16, 19-21, 21-19.
Ruselli Hartawan beat Yeo Jia Min 21-14, 21-18 in the women's singles for Indonesia's second point before Shesar Hiren Rhustiavito sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead by defeating Loh Kean Yew 17-21, 21-14, 21-7 in the men's singles.
RESULTS
QUARTER-FINALS
Japan 3 Malaysia 0
(Japan first)
Men's doubles
Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi beat Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin 19-21, 21-16, 21-15
Women's singles
Aya Ohori beat Ho Yen Mei 21-9, 25-23
Kanta Tsuneyama beat Cheam June Wei 13-21, 23-21, 21-15
Indonesia 3 Singapore 0
(Indonesia first)
Men's doubles
Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto beat Loh Kean Hean-Toh Han Zhuo 21-16, 19-21, 21-19
Women's singles
Ruselli Hartawan beat Yeo Jia Min 21-14, 21-18
Men's singles
Shesar Hiren Rhustavito beat Loh Kean Yew 17-21, 21-14, 21-7