Japan have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead after their first and second singles players and their first doubles pair won their respective matches rather easily, with two more matches to go.

Malaysia’s first singles player K Letshanaa went down fighting to Japanese champion Akane Yamaguchi 19-21, 17-21 in the opening match that lasted 41 minutes.

Japan got their second point when world No 6 pair Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto beat scratch pair M Thinaah-Ong Xin Yee 21-9, 21-9 in 35 minutes.

Second singles player Wong Ling Ching could not do much to stop Japan’s world No 9 shuttler Tomoka Miyazaki from taking the winning point for her country. The Malaysian lost 16-21, 13-21 in 46 minutes.

Malaysia can expect a tough time in the last eight as they will face one of the four group winners, which would most likely be China, Indonesia, South Korea or Japan.

A fresh draw will be made for the quarter-finals after the group ties end, with group winners seeded.