Malaysian women shuttlers settle for bronze in SEA Games team event

They go down fighting to Indonesia in the semi-finals after giving the favourites a scare.

Wong Ling Ching put up a stellar performance to defeat Gregoria Tunjung, ranked 34 spots above her. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Malaysian women’s badminton team had to settle for the bronze medal at the SEA Games in Bangkok, but not before giving favourites Indonesia a run for their money in the semi-finals today.

In a match that could have gone either way, the more experienced Indonesians edged Malaysia 3-2.

Under the competition format, there will be no play-off for third placing, with both semi-finalists receiving the bronze.

In the first match, Indonesia’s top singles shuttler Putri Kusuma Wardani cruised past K Letshanaa 21-9, 21-10 in 34 minutes to give her team a 1-0 lead.

The second match saw world No 2 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M Thinaah facing the 58th-ranked duo Rachel Allessya Rose-Febi Setianingrum.

The Malaysians, who were expected to win comfortably, were pushed to three games before prevailing 21-14, 17-21, 21-16 in an hour, to level the tie at 1-1.

In the second singles, world No 44 Wong Ling Ching pulled off an upset over world No 10 Gregoria Tunjung to give Malaysia a 2-1 lead, winning 22-20, 15-21, 21-16 in a match that lasted 66 minutes.

Malaysia’s second doubles pair, Go Pei Kee-Toh Ee Wei, competing together for the first time, fell 10-21, 9-21 to Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Puspitasari to level the score at 2-2.

In the decider, third singles player Siti Zulaikha Aziz, put up a valiant effort, but lost 18-21, 16-21 to Mutiara Ayu Puspitasari in 53 minutes.

Malaysia last won a medal in the women’s team event in the 2018 SEA Ganes in Manila, sharing the bronze with Singapore. Their best performance came in 2009, when they captured the gold. - FMT