PETALING JAYA: The battle for the Thomas Cup quarter-final spots in Group C remains wide open, with Taiwan, South Korea and hosts Denmark locked in a three-way fight.
Taiwan face a tough path to the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup and will need to draw on their Chengdu heroics when they take on Denmark in their final Group C tie today.
The clash is a repeat of the 2024 quarter-final in Chengdu, where Taiwan stunned Denmark 3-1 to reach the semi-finals before going on to claim a historic bronze medal, their first in the competition.
To repeat that result, they will need to raise their level, especially with Denmark backed by strong home support at Forum Horsens.
They cannot afford another slip-up after squandering a 2-0 lead against South Korea before going down 3-2, despite holding a higher ranking in both singles through Chi Yu-jen (pic) (No. 21) and Lee Chia-hao (No. 36) over Choi Ji-hoon (No. 85) and Cho Hyeon-woo (No. 173).
Denmark, meanwhile, are in a strong position after beating South Korea 4-1 and Sweden 5-0.
However, the Danish team’s place in the quarter-finals could still come under threat if they fall to Taiwan, who are also chasing a second win after their 5-0 victory over Sweden.
If Taiwan lose, it will be a straight forward affair as Denmark and South Korea will go through.
If Taiwan win 3-2, they will be joined by Denmark into the last eight but if Taiwan win big 4-1 or 5-0, they will be joined by South Korea into the knockout stage.
Danish coach Hans-Kristian Vittinghus is anticipating a great game.
“We will approach that match with the mindset of trying to beat them and see if we can turn things in our favour,” said Vittinghus.
“Now everything comes down to the final match day on Wednesday (today). It is a bit nerve-wracking, but it is also exciting. These are the kind of matches you want to play, where there is something at stake.
“It will be a big challenge for the team, which is a good mix of experienced players and younger ones who have not been in this situation before. I believe the team can handle it.”
South Korea, who had struggled earlier, can now breathe easier after staging a dramatic comeback against Taiwan.
Many had not considered them among the favourites, given their relatively low-ranked singles line-up for this year team event.
They are expected to face little trouble against Sweden today, and will be hoping for Taiwan to lose or beat Denmark in a big margin.
“People expect South Korea to win only in the doubles. However, since we got wins in the singles, I think it’s going to bring a positive influence next,” said Hyeon-woo in an interview with the Badminton World Federation.
