PETALING JAYA: One of the biggest upsets on the opening day of the Malaysian Masters saw world No. 7 pair Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov crash out in the first round on Tuesday (May 19).
The French brothers, who helped France reach the Thomas Cup final in Horsens, Denmark three weeks ago, went down 19-21, 15-21 to India’s Hariharan Amsakarunan-M.R. Ajun in just 36 minutes.
The pair admitted they were not surprised by the defeat, acknowledging that they had played below their usual standards as their bodies were still feeling the effects of a hectic run of tournaments.
“Based on how we played today, I don’t think this result is a shock because we were below our usual level. We did not perform the way we normally do, but this is also our first tournament back, so we were not expecting too much.
“Our main aim was just to get used to the conditions ahead of the Super 750 and Super 1000 tournaments. We have come through a long stretch of tournaments in Europe, including the European Championships and the Thomas Cup, where we reached the final.
"Our bodies are tired and exhausted, so our focus is mainly on preparing for next week’s Singapore Open and the Indonesia Open,” said Toma Junior.
The brothers admitted that France’s run to the Thomas Cup final did not create as much attention as they had hoped, but they believe it was still a positive step for badminton in the country.
“I would say it had an impact, maybe not as much as we were hoping for, but it was still a positive one.
“It’s not the same as in a country like Malaysia because badminton is still a small sport in France.
“But at our level, we got a little bit of what we expected. Of course, we always hope for more, and we believe that in the next few years, it can grow even more and create greater interest among the French people,” he added.
