MALAYSIA qualified for the semi-finals of the ISTAF SuperSeries Myanmar 2014/15 after defeating South Korea and Singapore to wrap up their Group A fixtures with a perfect 3-0 record.
Tekong Mohd Syahir Mohd Rosdi, feeder Syazreenqamar Salehan and striker Khairol Zaman Hamir Akhbar, who featured in both matches, defeated Singapore 21-17, 21-6 in their first match. They had a much easier time in their second, winning 21-10, 21-10 against an inexperienced, new-look Korean team.
“We played well in both matches, but need to be more consistent in our service and first ball,” said national coach Najib Iman at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium here. “Mohd Syahir has been gaining in confidence from match to match, and I hope he can inspire his teammates in the semi-finals.”
The Singaporeansalso qualified for the semi-finals after winning their first two matches against Korea and Japan. In Group B, defending champions and top seeds Thailand marched in after beating hosts Myanmar 21-16, 21-16.
Malaysia will face the winners of the Myanmar-Indonesia tie, which was played late yesterday, in today’s semi-finals.
The Malaysian women’s team of Emilia Eva Natasha, Nur Aquirah Mat Tahir and Elly Syahira Rosli lost 21-17, 21-13 to Indonesia in Group A.