KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — Unseeded Japanese pair Yuki Kaneko-Misaki Matsutomo stunned Malaysia’s Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying 21-14, 22-20 to qualify for the mixed doubles final at the 2021 All England Badminton Championships in Birmingham on Saturday.
Third seeds Peng Soon-Liu Ying were completely outplayed by Yuki-Misaki in the first game.
However, the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallists adopted a more aggressive approach in the second game to take a handsome 11-3 lead at the interval.
But the Malaysians could not maintain the hot pace they had set and the Japanese pair managed to catch up and level the score at 20-20 before going on to win 22-20.
Yuki-Misaki will take on the winner of the other semi-final between England’s Marcus Ellis-Lauren Smith and Japan’s Yuta Watanebe-Arisa Higashino later today (Sunday morning Malaysian time).
Peng Soon-Liu Ying emerged as runners-up in 2017 edition of the All England after losing 18-21,21-19, 21-16 to China’s Lu Kai-Huang Ya Qiong.
The last time Malaysia tasted victory in the All England was in 2017 when Datuk Lee Chong Wei overpowered Shi Yu Qi of China 21-12, 21-10. — Bernama
