Malaysian men's doubles sixth seeds Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah ousted Chinese defending champions Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng 15-21 21-18 21-19 in their World Championships quarter-final match yesterday.
Amid tumultuous scenes at the Putra Stadium, the Malaysians trailed 19-16 in the decider but swept to victory, winning the last five points in a row to the delight of a noisy, near-10,000 strong crowd.
Choong and Lee are seen as Malaysia's back-up to All England champions and second seeds Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, who reached the quarter-finals.
Their victory raises hopes that after 30 years of waiting since the inaugural tournament, Malaysia can finally land a world title.
They also retain aspirations in the women's singles through Wong Mew Choo, who ousted defending women's singles champion Xie Xingfang on Thursday.