Indonesian Maria Kristin in action during her Uber Cup match against Juliane Schenk of Germany on Tuesday. The Indonesians won 3-0. (AFP)

Jakarta: Japan set up a nightmare quarter final with hot favourites China after dumping debutantes South Africa out of the Thomas Cup men’s team badminton on Tuesday.

The Japanese took just 90 minutes to see off the African minnows with Shoji Sato, Sho Sasaki and Toru Matsumoto all winning in straight sets.

South Africa’s women also tumbled to their third straight defeat, 0-3 against the Netherlands, to end their participation in the concurrent Uber Cup.

The Japanese men will now face star-studded China, the top seeds, in the toughest tie of the quarter finals.

China have not dropped a point in their group matches and look odds-on favourites to wrest the Thomas Cup from Indonesia, the holders since 1994.

Elsewhere, home favourites Indonesia kept in the hunt for the Uber Cup with a 3-0 win over Germany.

Meanwhile, a lengthy technical hitch threatened to plunge media arrangements for the tournaments into chaos on Tuesday as the pressroom went off-line for three hours.

Reporters and photographers, unable to send stories and pictures as technicians worked on the Internet system, grew increasingly frustrated as deadlines approached.

The problem was finally solved at around 6:00 pm local time (11:00 GMT).

A technician said the system had been shut down because the line, overloaded by the dozens of journalists working at the Senayan Indoor Stadium, needed to be upgraded. He added that the problem was now solved.

Hidayat issue

Indonesia’s controversial star Taufik Hidayat said Tuesday that he was reported to the police after an undisclosed car park incident just hours ahead of a vital clash with China.

Local media reported that Taufik had scuffled with another driver after a minor collision involving his sports car.

However, the 22-year-old Asian champion described the incident as “just an ordinary conversation” and said the matter would go no further.

“I was reported but not called for investigation,” he said. “It was settled there.”