Top-pedigree Olympians put China in driver's seat
China’s Olympic champions give the tournament favourites the edge over Japan as the two powerhouses of badminton face off in today’s Thomas Cup final.
2014 Rio Games gold medalist Chen Long, 2012 London Games champion Lin Dan and one of China’s 2016 doubles winners, Zhan Nan, look likely to take home their 10th Cup title after previous successes in 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990 and from 2004-2012.
China’s 3-1 semi-final win over Indonesia returned them to the final for the first time since 2012.
World No 5 Chen Long won the first point by beating Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 22-20 21-16 before 13-time champions Indonesia hit back , Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo ousting Liu Cheng and Zhan Nan 12-21 21-17 21-15.
However the Indonesian revolution last briefly as China won the next two rubbers –
2014 Youth Olympic winner Shi Yuqi beat 2017 SEA Games gold medalist Jonatan Christie 18-21 21-12 21-15 before two-time reigning Asian Championships winners Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen beat Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan 21-17 18-21 21-12.
Chen, 29, dropped only one game throughout the tournament and is a part of the Chinese Thomas Cup winning team in 2010-12. The Chinese No 1 who pointed Thai fruits as ones of his favourite things here will look for a revenge over Japanese ace Kento Momota, the 12th ranked who beat him for the April’s Asian Championships title in Wuhan.
World No 4 Liu and Zhan just beat world No 6 and Japanese No 1 doubles team Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda for the gold medal in Wuhan while Chinese great Lin Dan, No 9 in the world, shall summon all experience to win the last point for China (should a decisive match is required) due to his most outstanding achievements among all players with wins from all major events including six All England, five World Championships and two Olympic titles.
However Japan won’t make it easy for China as when they won their maiden Cup title in 2014, they blanked China 3-0 in the semi-finals.
Japan ruined Denmark’s title defence campaign late on Friday’s night with a 3-2 win.
Kento upset world No 1 Viktor Axelsen 21-17 21-9 before Mathias Boe and Mads Conrad-Petersen beat Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda 21-18 21-12 for one all.
World No 14 Kenta Nishimoto beat Hans-Kristian Vittinghus 21-19 21-12 to take Japan to a 2-1 lead before Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen beat Takuto Inoue and Yuki Kaneko 17-21 21-16 21-15 to level the tie.
In the end the 55-ranked Kanta Tsuneyama sealed the victory for Nippon with an upset win over former world No 2 and former European Championships winner Jan O Jorgensen 21-18 21-11.
