With Malaysia trailing 1-2, all eyes were on men’s doubles world number two pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to level the score but to the disappointment of the team, they surrendered meekly to go down 12-21, 11-21 to Kim Won Ho-Na Sung Seung for South Korea to check into the final.

Not even the vociferous support of Malaysian fans at the competition venue could inspire Aaron-Wooi Yik to raise their performance level.

The defeat means Malaysia could only bring home the bronze medal from the tournament. This was a repeat of the biennial championship in 2021 in Vantaa, Finland, where Malaysia crashed out in the semi-finals.

They also reached the semifinals in 2009 in Guangzhou, China.

In today’s semifinals, Malaysia got off on the wrong footing when Orleans Masters champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei lost 21-11, 13-21, 7-21 to world number five Seo Seung Jae-Chae Yu Jung in the mixed doubles.

However, national men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia handed Malaysia a glimmer of hope when he produced a smashing display to outplay Jeon Hyeok Jin 21-11, 21-9 in just 35 minutes.

K Letshanaa, who was being counted on to spring a surprise in the women’s singles, had no answer to the superiority of world number two An Se Young, who romped to a 21-10, 21-13 win to put South Korea 2-1 up.

Although their challenge has ended, the shuttlers managed to achieve the semifinals target set by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).

Malaysia last beat South Korea in the Sudirman Cup in 2015, when they won a Group D tie 3-2 before losing to the same team 3-1 in the quarterfinals.