New Delhi: Malaysia defeated Indonesia 3-0 on Friday night to advance to the Thomas Cup final. The last time Malaysia reached Thomas Cup final was in 2002, Guangzhou, China but lost 2-3 to Indonesia eventually. Malaysia will play Japan in the final at the Siri Fort Stadium on Sunday.
Malaysia team got off with a good start when World no 1 Lee Chong Wei knocked off World no 5 Tommy Sugiarto 21-19, 21-13 in the first singles, and his win motivated others in the following matches.
When asked about his performance today, Lee Chong Wei said: “There is definitely pressure on everybody when you are on the court, that’s why I made some unnecessary mistakes in the first set. After I won the first set, I felt a lot calmer and more confident.”
Scratch pair Tan Boon Heong/Hoon Thien How overcame a shaky second game performance to overcome vicious and brutal attacks from World no. 1 and reigning world champions Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan to score the 21-19, 8-21, 23-21 victory.
Tan Boon Heong was extremely pumped-up after the match.
“We played with high energy and played very aggressively today. We never give up, we’ve always found a way to come back even after losing the second set. We will be more prepared for our next opponent,” said Boon Heong.
Prior to Thomas Cup 2014, Chong Wei Feng has often wilted under pressure but he is not showing any signs of it so far by steering Malaysia into the Thomas Cup Final. The world number 25 again handed Malaysia the winning point in their 3-0 win over Indonesia, holding off a tenacious challenge from Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka in the second set to prevail 21-10, 21-17 in 42 minutes.
“I tried to overwhelm Rumbaka with some back court attacks in the first set, and that worked out pretty well for me. I was able to triumph over tougher challenges from him in the second set by winning 21-17,” said Wei Feng.
World no 1 Lee Chong Wei remained cautious about Malaysia’s chances of winning the Thomas Cup:” It’s still too early to start thinking about winning the Thomas Cup. It is crucial for us to continue with the spirit and enthusiasm that we displayed in our last few matches. Japan had stunned China with an amazing performance today, and we will not underestimate them. We will be fully prepared for the final.”
As for the Uber Cup, China beat South Korea 3-0 and will play Japan in the final.
