Top seeds India and second seeds Malaysia marched into the semi-finals in the mixed team badminton with convincing 3-0 wins over their quarter-final opponents at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre, Gold Coast on Saturday.
Malaysia, the defending champions who have won the mixed team gold in the last three editions of the Games, defeated Scotland 3-0 while India breezed past Mauritius also with a 3-0 scoreline.
In Sunday’s semi-finals India will face Singapore who ousted hosts Australia 3-0 while Malaysia will take on England. The English downed Canada 3-0 in the other quarter-final tie.
India’s No 1 men’s singles shuttler K. Srikanth clinched India’s winning points and an unassailable 3-0 lead with a 21-12, 21-14 win over Georges Julien Paul.
The Indians had earlier grabbed a 2-0 lead by winning the men’s and women’s doubles. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty won the men’s doubles against Aatish Lubah-Christopher 21-12, 21-3.
Ashwini Ponnappa-N. Sikki Reddy put India in the driving seat by winning their women’s doubles tie against Aurelie Marie Elisa-Nicki Chan-Lam 21-8, 21-7.
Malaysia’s had a rude shock in their opening tie – when Rio Oympics silver medallists Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying were taken the distance – coming back from a game down for a 14-21, 21-18, 21-15 win over Adam hall-Julie Macpherson.
Datuk Lee Chong Wei strolled past Kieran Merrilees 21-14, 21-7 for Malaysia’s second point before Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong brushed aside Alexander Dunn-Adam Hall 21-10, 21-15 in the men’s singles for the winning point. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH