By Scott Wilson, PA Sport

Tracey Hallam admitted she had improved her quarter-final form markedly after becoming one of only three British players to progress from Saturday's 10 semi-finals.

English hopes of a golden end to the badminton tournament were blown away as Malaysian players booked six of the 10 final spots.

Burton-born Hallam will contest the women's singles final on Sunday, while Simon Archer and Jo Goode will go in search of mixed doubles gold after a five-game thriller with New Zealand's Daniel Shirley and Sara Runesten-Petersen.

Hallam comprehensively disposed of India's Aparna Popat 7-3 7-3 7-1 to book a final date against Singapore's Li Li.

And, after struggling to beat Scotland's Susan Hughes 8-6 in the fifth and final game of their quarter-final yesterday, Hallam knew she would have to lift her game against Popat.

"I think she would have been lifted by the way I played yesterday," said Hallam.

"I was poor yesterday, but today I thought I did a lot better and I feel on top of the world.

"I made it hard for her, and I'm pleased with the way I played."

After a disappointing afternoon for the host nation, Hallam's win was cheered to the rafters by a capacity Bolton Arena crowd.

Hallam won the first two games comfortably, and then turned on the style in a third that lasted just six minutes.

Archer and Goode will go in search of gold against Malaysia's Chew Choon Eng and Chin Eei Hui.

And Archer is confident that he and Goode, bronze medallists in the Sydney Olympics two years ago, will have the upper hand.

"If we play as well as we can, we'll win," he said.

"If we can play quick enough and fast enough, and get to the net, we won't have any problems."

Archer and Goode, who were both losers in their respective afternoon doubles matches, bounced back in fine style to beat Shirley and Runesten-Petersen 7-1 5-7 8-6 4-7 7-2.

The game was an absolute cracker, with Archer and Goode turning from near-certain winners to the brink of defeat before pulling through in a dramatic final game.

With the English duo 7-6 up in the third game the match was very much in the balance, but a lucky net-cord looked to have tipped the balance in the hosts' favour.

The Kiwi pair raced through the fourth game though, and looked odds-on themselves at 2-0 up in the final game.

But Archer and Goode, seeded two places below their opponents, dug deep with the former in particular popping up all over the court.

It had looked likely that they would be taking on Anthony Clark and Sara Sankey in an all-English final, but the latter pairing capitulated after taking a two-game lead against Chew and Chin.

After impressing in the early stages with their court coverage and speed at the net, Clark and Sankey were blown away as the Malaysian pair levelled before coasting to a 7-0 win in the decisive game.

It was a sad way for Sankey to end the final international match of her long and distinguished career.

That game just about summed the day up, with Malaysian players dominating their English counterparts from the word go.

Players from the south-eastern Asian country went head to head with English opposition three times this afternoon, and were successful on every occasion.

But with no third-place play-off, every losing semi-finalist is assured a bronze medal.

Clark and Nathan Robertson lost 8-6 7-3 7-4 to Choong Tan Fook and Chang Kim Wai, despite being ahead at some stage in every game.

And Archer and James Anderson lost 8-6 7-3 7-4 to number one seeds Chew Choon Eng and Chan Chong Ming in the other men's doubles semi-final.

The most surprising defeat of the afternoon was Goode and Gail Emms' defeat in the semi-finals of the women's doubles.

The duo, who had been expected to beat relatively inexperienced opponents, won bronze after a 7-4 6-8 8-6 7-4 defeat to Lim Pek Siah and Ang Li Peng.

Sunday's men's singles final will be an all-Malaysian affair with Lee Tseun Seng, winner over Wales' Richard Vaughan, taking on Muhammad Hafiz Hashim.