PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Thomas Cup campaign came to a sad end when they crashed out in the quarter-finals after a 0-3 defeat to defending champions China on Friday (May 1).
With the loss, Malaysia’s wait to lift the Thomas Cup goes on, having last won the title in 1992.
At the Forum Horsens in Denmark, men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao showed flashes of brilliance in the second game but ultimately fell to world No. 1 Shi Yuqi.
The 26-year-old, who had struggled in his previous matches, did better in patches before going down 21-10, 16-21, 21-9 in 67 minutes.
Said Jun Hao: "I felt that after losing the first game, I just had to stay positive and keep pushing myself point by point, trying my best to take a game off him.
"After getting into the third game, it was not a good start. I may have rushed a few points and he came up with some sharp attacks, so the beginning of the third game did not go well.
“I feel I tried my very best today in the quarter-finals.”*
Trailing 0-1, the pressure was on the world No. 2 pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, and it showed as they fell in the first doubles to world No. 1 Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang.
The Malaysians held their own in a closely fought opening game but failed to close it out.
Frustration crept in during the second as they struggled to match the pace of Weikeng-Wang Chang, eventually losing 22-24, 14-21.
Malaysia’s exit was all but confirmed when Justin Hoh took on Li Shifeng in the second singles.
The 22-year-old showed early promise but was no match for Shifeng, going down 14-21, 13-21.
Malaysia had also lost to China in the semi-finals of the last edition in Chengdu in 2024.
China will face either Thailand or Denmark for a place in the final.
