Singapore beat Scotland 3-0 to make badminton mixed team final four
BIRMINGHAM - It was the first time they experienced having their teammates courtside at Hall 5 of the National Exhibition Centre. And while their opponents came armed with air horns and drums, Singapore had to improvise with inflatable clappers.
On the court, the Republic also managed to think of their feet to beat Scotland 3-0 in their Commonwealth Games badminton mixed team quarter-final on Sunday (July 31).
They will meet top seeds and defending champions India in the semi-finals on Monday, while the other last-four tie will feature Malaysia and England.
World No. 36 mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan got Singapore off to a fine start when they beat 43rd-ranked Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson 21-18, 21-17.
Tan said: "This is the first time we experienced such a setting at a major Games. It feels really good and we can also hear the advice from our teammates because they are so close."
Hee added: "They helped us take note of our opponents' habits because sometimes when we are too focused in the match, we may miss out on some details. They were like extra coaches, which helped a lot."
World champion Loh Kean Yew then overpowered 497th-ranked Callum Smith with a 21-8, 21-5 win in the men's singles.
The world No. 9 said: "Playing India will be much harder than any opponents we faced so far. We have to be mentally ready and stay focused."
Later on, world No. 19 Yeo Jia Min kept her nerve to produce a decisive display to beat Kirsty Gilmour 21-15, 12-21, 21-11 for her first victory over the 18th-ranked Scot.
She said: "I was a bit rushed and inconsistent for the second game, so I made many errors.
"I then tried to refocus and take things slower in the decider, which worked. This is my first win over Kirsty in three matches, so it is definitely a boost for me going forward.
"India are top seeds, so the draw was not too kind for us. But I believe our team have a decent chance to win in each match-up, and we will give our all to try and create an upset."
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