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China defeats Denmark to meet S. Korea in Sudirman Cup final
Worthy try: South Korean mixed doubles player Ko Sung-hyun (right) dives to return the shuttle cock as teammate Kim Ha-na watches in their match against Thai pair Prapakamol Sudket and Thoungthongkam Saralee
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Worthy try: South Korean mixed doubles player Ko Sung-hyun (right) dives to return the shuttle cock as teammate Kim Ha-na watches in their match against Thai pair Prapakamol Sudket and Thoungthongkam Saralee. (Reuters/Samsul Said) (right) dives to return the shuttle cock as teammate Kim Ha-na watches in their match against Thai pair Prapakamol Sudket and Thoungthongkam Saralee. (Reuters/Samsul Said)
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span class="inline inline-none">Worthy try: South Korean mixed doubles player Ko Sung-hyun (right) dives to return the shuttle cock as teammate Kim Ha-na watches in their match against Thai pair Prapakamol Sudket and Thoungthongkam Saralee. (Reuters/Samsul Said)
China is a step closer to its ambitious target of winning the world's mixed team Sudirman Cup badminton championship five times in a row after defeating Denmark 3-1 on Saturday.
In the first match of the evening, the Chinese mixed doubles pair of Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei defeated Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen 21-15, 21-12 for a 1-0 lead, as reported live by tournamentsoftware.com.
The world's number three Zhang and Zhao narrowed their head-to-head gap to 5-6 against the world's number four Nielsen and Pedersen at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil Sports Complex, Kuala Lumpur.
Chinese men's single shuttler Chen Long, world number two, extended the Chinese lead after he defeated Jan O Jorgensen 21-16, 21-16. Chen had a perfect 4-0 lead against world number seven Jorgensen.
In the men's doubles, Chinese pair Cai Yun and Fu Huafeng bowed to world number one Carsten Mogensen and Mathias Boe in straight sets preventing an early Chinese victory. Mogensen and Boe were too strong for the world's number nine Cai and Fu in their 21-16, 21-17 victory.
The Danes, however, were still behind the Chinese in their 7-3 head-to-head score.
In the women's singles match, world number one Li Xuerui secured China's place in Sunday's final after defeating the ranked 79th Kjaersfeldt Line 21-13, 21-9 in just 26 minutes. Saturday's match was the first encounter for the worlds-apart shuttlers.
China have so far grabbed the coveted trophy a total of nine times. It secured its semifinals berth after crushing Indonesia's hopes 3-2 in their quarterfinals match on Thursday.
Earlier in the afternoon, South Korea secured its final spot after beating Thailand 3-1 in their semifinals match, Antara news agency reported from Kuala Lumpur.
Reaching the semifinals is Thailand's best achievement so far after surprising Japan on Thursday with a 3-1 win in their quarterfinals encounter.
South Korea took the first point through mixed doubles Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na who beat Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thoungthongkam 21-18, 21-19.
In the second match, world number eight men's single shuttler Boonsak Ponsana stole Thailand's only point by defeating Lee Dong-keun, ranked 63rd, 21-9, 21-12 in just 34 minutes.
South Korea, which has never failed to reach the semifinals and have taken the cup three times, earned its second point in the men's doubles match. Ko Sung-hyun and Lee Yong-dae also needed only 34 minutes to subjugate Maneepon Jongjit and Nipitphon Puangpuapech 21-12, 21-11.
World number five women's single Sung Ji-hyun secured South Korea's 3-1 victory after defeating Ratchanok Intanon in straight sets 21-17, 21-14 in 44 minutes. Sung extended her head-to-head lead against Ratchanok to 7-2.
Their last encounter was at the Indonesian Open in 2012 when Sung also wrapped up the match in straight sets 21-18, 21-13.
After the match, Sung said her victory was affected by Ratchanok's fatigue after playing a life-and-death match against Japan's Takahashi Sayaka. Ratchanok had had to work hard before subduing Takahashi 21-19, 9-21, 21-19 in more than an hour.
'I already knew her style of game because we have often met before,' Sung said as quoted by Antara.
'Ratchanok still looked tired after her tight match against the Japanese player.
