Horsens: Malaysia’s hopes of ending a 34-year Thomas Cup title drought came to an end in Horsens, Denmark, after defending champions China powered to a 3-0 victory in the quarterfinals.
The result sent China into the semifinals, where they will face Denmark. In the other semifinal, France will meet India after both teams produced impressive quarterfinal wins.
2026 Thomas Cup Semifinal Matchups
- China vs Denmark
- France vs India
China 3-0 Malaysia: Malaysia’s Campaign Ends in Quarterfinals
Malaysia entered the tie needing near-perfect execution, but China’s depth in both singles and doubles proved too strong.
Match 1 – Men’s Singles
Shi Yuqi def. Leong Jun Hao
21-10, 16-21, 21-9
Leong Jun Hao showed fighting spirit by taking the second game from world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, but his slow start in the deciding game allowed China to regain full control.
Match 2 – Men’s Doubles
Liang Weikeng / Wang Chang def. Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik
24-22, 21-14
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik pushed China hard in the opening game but could not convert the key points. Liang and Wang then took command in the second game to double China’s lead.
Match 3 – Men’s Singles
Li Shifeng def. Justin Hoh
21-14, 21-13
Justin Hoh tried to stay competitive, but Li Shifeng’s experience, pace control, and shot quality were enough to seal the tie for China.
Malaysia’s defeat means their wait for another Thomas Cup title continues, with their last triumph coming in 1992.
Kenneth Jonassen Takes Responsibility
Malaysia’s singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen took full responsibility for the team’s quarterfinal exit, admitting that Malaysia’s overall performance throughout the campaign did not reach the required level.
Jonassen said Malaysia arrived with too many weaknesses in their game and failed to build consistency across the week. He also noted that the men’s singles department must evolve technically and mentally to keep pace with modern badminton demands.
Lee Zii Jia remained Malaysia’s most stable singles performer during the campaign, winning all three of his matches, including a confidence-boosting victory over Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the group stage. However, Malaysia’s tie against China ended before Zii Jia had the chance to play in the fifth match.
Thailand 1-3 Denmark: Denmark Advance on Home Soil
Denmark booked their semifinal place with a 3-1 win over Thailand.
- Anders Antonsen def. Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-16, 11-21, 21-18
- Kim Astrup / Anders Skaarup Rasmussen def. Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 15-21, 21-5, 21-17
- Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul def. Magnus Johannesen 21-17, 21-12
- Mathias Christiansen / Daniel Lundgaard def. Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn / Worrapol Thongsa-nga 21-13, 21-17
Denmark’s doubles strength proved decisive, setting up a major semifinal clash against China.
France 3-0 Japan: French Singles Deliver Statement Win
France continued their remarkable Thomas Cup run by sweeping Japan 3-0.
- Christo Popov def. Kodai Naraoka 21-17, 21-17
- Alex Lanier def. Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-17
- Toma Junior Popov def. Koki Watanabe 21-19, 23-21
The win reinforced France’s emergence as one of the most dangerous teams in world badminton, powered by the Popov brothers and Alex Lanier.
India 3-0 Chinese Taipei: India March Into Semifinals
India secured a strong 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei to complete the semifinal lineup.
- Lakshya Sen def. Chou Tien-chen 18-21, 22-20, 21-17
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty def. Chiu Hsiang-chieh / Wang Chi-lin 23-21, 19-21, 21-12
- Ayush Shetty def. Lin Chun-yi 21-16, 21-17
India’s ability to win both tight singles and doubles matches showed why they remain serious title contenders.
Uber Cup Quarterfinal Results
China 3-0 Malaysia
- Wang Zhiyi def. Letshanaa Karupathevan 21-17, 21-18
- Liu Shengshu / Tan Ning def. Ong Xin Yee / Carmen Ting 21-14, 16-21, 21-13
- Chen Yufei def. Wong Ling Ching 21-10, 21-10
Japan 3-1 Thailand
- Akane Yamaguchi def. Ratchanok Intanon 22-20, 21-15
- Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto def. Benyapa Aimsaard / Supissara Paewsampran 22-20, 21-8
- Pornpawee Chochuwong def. Tomoka Miyazaki 15-21, 21-16, 21-19
- Arisa Igarashi / Kie Nakanishi def. Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn / Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat 19-21, 21-5, 21-14
Indonesia 3-1 Denmark
- Putri Kusuma Wardani def. Line Christophersen 21-12, 21-15
- Line Kjaersfeldt def. Ni Kadek Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi 21-15, 21-16
- Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma / Meilysa Trias Puspita Sari def. Amalie Cecilie Kudsk / Mette Werge 21-19, 21-11
- Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo def. Amalie Schulz 21-13, 21-18
South Korea 3-1 Chinese Taipei
- An Se-young def. Chiu Pin-chian 21-7, 21-8
- Lee So-hee / Lee Yeon-woo def. Hsieh Pei-shan / Hung En-tzu 15-21, 21-8, 21-17
- Lin Hsiang-ti def. Kim Ga-eun 21-15, 21-17
- Jeong Na-eun / Kim Hye-jeong def. Hsu Ya-ching / Hsu Yin-hui 21-17, 21-13
Conclusion
The Thomas Cup 2026 semifinals now feature four compelling teams: China, Denmark, France, and India. China remain the defending champions, Denmark carry home advantage, France are the tournament’s rising force, and India continue to prove their team-event strength.
This badminton news update shows that the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup knockout stages are delivering exactly what fans expected: pressure, upsets, elite performances, and world-class badminton.
