China secure Thomas Cup and Uber Cup double
China regained their status as the world’s top badminton nation after ending a six-year wait for a Thomas Cup triumph.
It was double delight for China’s shuttlers in Chengdu, with victory in Sunday’s Thomas Cup final over Indonesia adding to their victory over the same opponents in the Uber Cup final on Saturday.
It’s the first time since 2012 that China has won both the men’s and women’s title at the World Team Championships.
The Thomas Cup title came via a 3-1 success which denied Indonesia a record-extending 15th crown.
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World number two Shi Yu Qi set the pace with a dominant 21-17 21-6 win over Anthony Ginting in the opening contest.
Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang doubled the lead when downing Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto 21-18 17-21 21-17 in a heart-stopping doubles match.
Wei Keng and Wang narrowly won the first game 21-18, fighting their way back from 4-10 down, but the Indonesian pair claimed the second game to force a decider and assumed an early 8-4 lead.
China led for just the second time in the game when 18-17 in front and won five straight points to wrap up the game and the match.
Jonatan Christie, the reigning YONEX All England Open men’s singles champion, gave Indonesia faint hope with a composed 21-16, 15-21 21-17 win over Li Shi Feng to reduce the arrears to 2-1 and maintain his 100 percent win rate at this year’s tournament.
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He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu then stormed to a 21-11 21-15 win over Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana to end any hopes of an Indonesia comeback and conclude a long-awaited victory for China in the biennial tournament.
The bronze medals were shared between Chinese Taipei, who secured their first ever Thomas Cup medal, and Malaysia.
Just as in 2012, China beat the same nation in the final of the Uber Cup to secure a Thomas-Uber Cup double.
The runners-up in Bangkok two years ago routed Indonesia 3-0 this time for a convincing success on home soil.
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Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei provided China with a perfect start, defeating Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 21-7 21-16.
World No. 1 Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan then outplayed Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti and Ribka Sugiarto 21-11 21-8 for a commanding 2-0 lead.
Teenager Ester Nurumi battled hard for Indonesia but He Bing Jiao recovered to win 10-21 21-15 21-17 and seal a 16th Uber Cup win for China.
Bronze in the women’s event went to 2022 winners South Korea, after their agonising 3-2 semi-final defeat to Indonesia, and Japan.
