Host nation Japan suffered two eliminations in the quarterfinal round of the badminton women's doubles competition.
Matsumoto Mayu and Nagahara Wakana came agonizingly close to a spot in the semifinals but failed to capitalize on any of six match points in the final set that extended far past the 21-point minimum.
South Korea's Kim So-Yeong and Kong Hee-Yong displayed remarkable poise and resiliency under pressure, fighting off each match point and ultimately winning the final frame 27-25 to take the match and book a spot in the semis.
There, they'll face Chinese duo Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, who ousted the other Japanese quarterfinalists Fukushima Yuki and Hirota Sayaka.
The opposite semifinal will be contested between Indonesia's Greysia Polii and Apriani and South Korea's Lee So-Hee and Shin Seung-Chin, with the potential for an all-South Korea final.