Singapore's netballers faced their toughest match in the tournament to date against Malaysia in the semi-finals of the Mission Foods Asian Netball Championships at the Singapore Sports Hub's OCBC Arena on Saturday (Sep 13). They will face four-time winners Sri Lanka in the finals on Sunday.

Strong defensive play by Singapore in the first and second quarters initially confounded the visitors, but not for long. Malaysia's firm control over the mid-court and accurate shooting soon closed the gap, leaving both teams neck and neck in the last two quarters.

In the end, Singapore still managed to maintain their early lead, bringing the game to a close 46-39, securing a place in the Netball World Cup in Sydney next year.

Singapore Team Coach Ruth Aitken said: "Malaysia certainly didn't give an inch, and I thought the way they fought back in that fourth quarter was really inspirational. I was delighted that we managed to keep our nerve and just push through for the win. But both teams really wanted this game, and it was evidenced by the competitiveness of it."

(CNA)