The national women’s badminton team suffered a humiliating 5-0 loss in their opening Uber Cup Group C match to China at the Kunshan Sports Centre in Kunshan, China yesterday.
The Uber Cup line-up consisted of Tee Jing Yi, Goh Jin Wei, Sonia Cheah Yu Sa, Vivian Hoo Kah Mun-Woon Khe Wei and Chow Mei Kuan-Yean Lee Meng. Team captain Goh Liu Ying was left out of the Uber Cup opener as well as national women’s singles player Ho Yen Mei.
2012 Olympic Games gold medallist Li Xuerui earned China’s first point when she easily defeated world No. 29 Tee Jing Yi 21-13, 21-11 in just 32 minutes. Tang Yuanting and Yu Yang, who are the third best women’s doubles pair in the world, had to be on their toes the entire game after narrowly winning Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei 21-11, 14-21, 21-18.
Goh Jin Wei, who won the 2015 World Junior Championship, was not her usual self when she went down 16-21, 14-21 to the fourth best player in the world, Wang Yihan in 45 minutes. Chow Mei Kuan-Yean Lee Meng put up a good fight against Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei but were unfortunate enough to lose in the third set and losing 15-21, 21-19, 11-21 overall.
Sonia Cheah was swept aside 9-21, 10-21 by Sun Yu in only 35 minutes in the last game.
The other Group A match saw Denmark defeating Spain 4-1.
Malaysia will face Denmark tomorrow at 8.30am.
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