In an electrifying finale held in Horsens, Denmark, the Chinese mainland secured a hard‑fought 3‑1 victory over France to retain the Thomas Cup on Sunday. The triumph marks the 12th time the mainland has lifted the men’s team world championship since the tournament began in 1982, while France achieved its best‑ever result in the competition.
Shi Yuqi opened the tie with a grueling 85‑minute battle, overcoming Christo Popov 21‑16, 16‑21, 21‑17. World No. 10 Alex Lanier quickly leveled the score for France, brushing aside Li Shifeng 21‑13, 21‑10 in just 43 minutes.
The momentum shifted again when World No. 15 Weng Hongyang faced Toma Junior Popov. After a titanic 96‑minute duel, Weng edged Popov 22‑20, 20‑22, 21‑19, putting the Chinese mainland ahead 2‑1.
The decisive point was sealed by He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu, who defeated Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi 21‑13, 21‑16 in the doubles, clinching the title for the mainland side.
Over on the women’s side, the Republic of Korea stunned defending champion the Chinese mainland 3‑1 to claim the Uber Cup. This victory gave the team its third crown, following previous wins in 2010 and 2022.
The opening singles clash featured the world’s top two players. World No. 1 An Se‑young delivered a dominant performance, dismantling second‑ranked Wang Zhiyi 21‑10, 21‑13 in 47 minutes.
Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning briefly restored parity for the Chinese mainland, winning their doubles against Jeong Na‑eun and Lee So‑hee 21‑15, 21‑12.
However, former Olympic champion Chen Yufei could not hold off World No. 17 Kim Ga‑eun, falling 21‑19, 21‑15 in the third singles encounter.
In the crucial fourth match, after Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian took the first game 21‑16, the newly‑formed pair of Baek Ha‑na and Kim Hye‑jeong rallied to win the next two games 21‑10, 21‑13, sealing the Uber Cup for the Republic of Korea.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
