Zi Yu-Noraqilah, ranked world No. 143, beat Iwanaga-Nakanishi 21-17, 12-21, 21-19 to deliver Malaysia’s only point in their 1-4 defeat to six-time champions Japan at Forum Horsens.

Noraqilah said they did not think too much before the match but gave their all against their opponents.

“This is a good experience against the top 10 pairs in the world. Before stepping on the court, I just told my partner not to stress and just give what we can,” she said in a post-match interview.

The 18-year-old said they had learnt a lot from their opponents, especially on producing quality shots on court.

Zi Yu, 15, meanwhile said they still needed to improve as she committed a number of unforced errors throughout the game.

Top national women’s singles player K Letshanaa described her 19-21, 17-21 defeat in the opening match to world No. 3 and three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi as a valuable milestone in her development on the international stage.

“It was one of my better performances because I felt that I could fight against Akane. Hopefully, it gives me a good boost for upcoming matches,” she said.

Today’s loss sees Malaysia head to the quarter-finals as Group B runners-up, and Japan as group champions.

The Uber Cup Finals 2026, which began on April 24, will run until May 3.