Kuala lumpur: National mixed doubles Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei advanced to the semi-finals of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Championship after defeating Indonesian pair Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Pasaribu in the second Group B match today. The world champions started shakily in the first set after losing 17-21, but recovered in the next two sets to win 21-14, 21-15. This was the second win for the national pair after defeating compatriots Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie yesterday. Tang Jie and Ee Wei will meet Feng Yang Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in the final Group A match tomorrow.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, also recording a win today was the national women's doubles pair Pearly Tan and M Thinaah who managed to secure their second win after defeating the Japanese pair, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in the second match of Group A. Pearly and Thinaah won straight sets 21-13, 21-18 in 52 minutes, booking their semi-finals slot. The national pair, fresh from winning the gold medal at the recent Thailand Sea Games, will meet Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto to complete the Group A action tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Soon Huat and Shevon suffered a different fate as they lost for the second time in a row at the tournament when they conceded defeat to Yang Zhe and Dong Ping, making it difficult for them to advance to the semi-finals. The husband and wife pair started well in the first set when they won 25-23 before failing to continue their run in the next two sets, conceding defeat 11-21, 20-22 in an action that lasted one hour and nine minutes.