Korea’s Thomas Cup campaign remained alive thanks to a sensational comeback win over Chinese Taipei in Group C, overturning a 0-2 deficit to stay in contention for a place in the quarterfinals. Despite being heavy underdogs and losing the opening two matches against the pre-tournament favourites, Korea’s unheralded players produced a display of resilience and nerve.
The turnaround began when Choi Ji Hoon, ranked No.85 in the world, overcame No.21 Chi Yu Jen 21-17, 18-21, 21-16. Choi’s determined performance kept Korea’s hopes afloat. The momentum then shifted further as scratch doubles pair Cho Song Hyun and Kim Won Ho edged out Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in a nail-biting contest, 20-22, 21-18, 21-19.
The comeback was completed in dramatic fashion by Cho Hyeon Woo, ranked No.173 and making his debut in a major team event. Cho stunned the more experienced Lee Chia Hao, holding his nerve in a tense decider to win 23-21, 12-21, 21-18. “People expect Korea to win only the doubles. However, since we got wins for singles, I think it’s going to bring a positive influence,” Cho said. “I’ve never felt this nervous. I’ve never been in this kind of situation before, so definitely, I had a lot of pressure going in.”
The final group standings will now hinge on the outcome of Chinese Taipei vs. Denmark and Korea vs. Sweden.
Other Highlights:
In Group A, Pusarla V Sindhu came close to defeating Wang Zhi Yi, leading 18-12 in the third game before the Chinese player surged back to win nine of the next ten points for a memorable victory.
Malaysia’s men overcame an early setback against Finland to claim a 4-1 win, with Joakim Oldorff impressing by defeating Leong Jun Hao before Malaysia surged to victory.
In women’s action, Malaysia fell to Japan, with Low Zi Yu and Noraqilah Maisarah’s three-game win providing their only highlight.
What They Said:
Joakim Oldorff (Finland): “It’s very nice to get a win. Malaysia is very strong, and I know they have many good coaches and players. So it means a lot. Before coming here, I was very excited to play and challenge the top players. I have been managing to do that, so hopefully I can keep it up.”
Pusarla V Sindhu (India): “It was a hard match all the way, both of us were giving it our all. I don’t think I made any easy mistakes as such while I was leading; every point was hard fought, but I should have converted my lead.”
Li Shi Feng (China): “Although Shi Yu Qi wasn’t playing today, I wasn’t nervous, because the team has a lot of strong players.”
Rishi Honda Boopathy (on facing HS Prannoy): “I’m normally not a super attacking player. I don’t have that much power, but I know that because his experience and stuff, I needed to hit some more sharper shots to add some pressure. I felt like I needed to take some risks. Because if I kept on playing passive, he was going to power through me.”
Korea’s remarkable fightback has injected new life into their Thomas Cup campaign, setting up a thrilling conclusion to the group stage.
