Badminton: Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2022 - semi-finals as it happened
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the action from the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand at the
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Day 6 recap
Thank you for joining us
for yet another incredible day of badminton, which has
finished with a first: India will play in a Thomas Cup final.
That comes after a
thrilling 3–2 win over 2016 champs Denmark; they face defending champions
Indonesia, who also triumphed 3–2 (over Japan).
This is also the end of
our live blog coverage of the group stages, quarters, and semis of the Thomas
and Uber Cup Finals 2022.
You can, of course,
catch up on all the action below.
But don't fret – we will
have dedicated live update articles from both the Uber Cup final on Saturday
between China and Korea, and the Thomas Cup final on Sunday between India and
Indonesia.
Join us then for those!
Thomas Cup: India into final – REPORT
Thomas Cup: Indonesia to defend crown in final
And right on India's
heels, Indonesia book their spot in Sunday's final.
Shesar Hiren Rhustavito completes a straight-games win, 21-17,
21-11 over Japan's Naraoka Kodai to put his team
through.
It means the defending
champions will get a chance to seal back-to-back titles, against a first-time
finalist.
Tie: Indonesia 3-2 Japan
Thomas Cup: India write history
This is Indian badminton
history.
H.S. Prannoy triumphs 13-21, 21-9, 21-12 against Rasmus
Gemke to send his teammates into raptures.
India have qualified for
the Thomas Cup final for the first time.
Tie: India 3-2 Denmark
India v Denmark can't
get any closer.
H.S. Prannoy and Rasmus Gemke are into
a single game decider after splitting the first two frames of their match.
Winner into the final –
something India have never done. Denmark last won the trophy in 2016.
Advantage Prannoy,
though, currently.
Well, well. After both
Uber Cup semis were completed in 3–0 sweeps, both Thomas Cup semis are headed
to fifth-rubber deciders.
On Court 2,
Japan's Koga Akira and Watanabe Yuta survive a three-setter
against Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto to win 21-14,
13-21, 21-18.
Tie: Indonesia 2-2 Japan
We will have a fifth and
deciding fixture in the India–Denmark semi-final.
Anders Skaarup Rasmussen
and Frederik Soegaard take almost no
time at all – 39 minutes – to see off the young duo of Krishna Garaga
and Vishnuvardhan Panjala in straight games, 21-14, 21-13.
Tie: India 2-2 Denmark
Both Denmark and Japan
have to win their respective second doubles rubbers to stay alive in their
ties.
And both teams are on
course to doing so, each winning the opening game of their matches against
India and Indonesia respectively.
Kidambi makes the most
of a very frustrated Antonsen. He brings up six match points; the first is
saved but the Indian makes no mistake on his second.
21-18, 12-21, 21-15.
Tie: India 2-1 Denmark
After throwing his
racquet in the air for the second time this match, Anders Antonsen receives
a yellow card warning for misconduct.
Over on Court 2, Nishimoto
Kenta has taken his rubber against Jonatan Christie in
a tight contest that lasted 57 minutes.
Nishimoto won 22-20,
21-13 to ensure the Japanese stay alive for at least another rubber.
Tie: Indonesia 2-1 Japan
Understandably for this
stage of the competition, every tie, match, game, and point is closely-fought.
Here's where we stand at
the moment:
Court 1: India 1-1
Denmark
Viktor Axelsen took
Denmark's first point, before Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty levelled
the tie.
The third rubber
between Kidambi Srikanth and Anders Antonsen is
1-1 and heading to a decider.
Court 2: Indonesia 2-0
Japan
Anthony Sinisuka Ginting
gave Indonesia the lead before Mohammad Ahsan/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo squeaked
through to double Indonesia's lead.
The third rubber is
being played between Jonatan Christie and Nishimoto
Kenta – Nishimoto has game point in the first at 21-20.
Thomas Cup: Indonesia one away
Ahsan and Sukamuljo hold
off a surge from the world champs in the decider of their rubber.
The Indonesians lead
nearly the whole way, but Hoki and Kobayashi haul it back to 20-20 in the final
game. Hoki/Kobayashi bring up a match point of their own which is saved.
Eventually, Ahsan and
Sukamuljo hang on for a 22-20, 8-21, 24-22 win.
One more rubber will put
the defending champs Indonesia into the final.
Tie: Indonesia 2-0 Japan
A huge result for India
in this second rubber. Satwik and Chirag are 8-3 down in the final game against
Astrup and Christiansen, but they go on a run to pull it back to 10-10.
Their fine form
continues after the interval and they bring up three match points.
The first is saved – the
third match point of the match they let slip, after two in the second game –
and now the second is saved, too, as Rankireddy finds the net.
Astrup and Christiansen
haul it back to 20-20 but at the sixth time of asking in the match, Rankireddy
and Shetty seal the deal.
21-18, 21-23, 22-20.
Tie: India 1-1 Denmark
Thomas Cup: World champs force decider
No mistakes from the
Japanese in this second game. Hoki and Kobayashi open up a big lead on
Sukamuljo and Ahsan, and convert their game points to level at 1-1 in the
match.
A decider to settle the
second rubber.
Thomas Cup: Third game decider between India and Denmark doubles
Another incredible match
on Court 1 as Astrup and Christiansen save two match points
from Satwik and Chirag.
The Indians cannot
capitalise and the Danes force a decider.
Astrup and Christiansen
were 8–1 up in that game but were behind at the interval. They've just about
held on.
Thomas Cup: World no. 1, 2, 4 doubles all in action
There's a little quirk
over on Court 2: with Indonesia fielding a scratch doubles pair of Kevin
Sanjaya Sukamuljo (world no 1) and Mohammad Ahsan (world
number 2), we have players from three of the world's top four doubles pairs all
in action.
Sukamuljo and Ahsan are
facing world champs and world no. 4 Hoki Takuro and Kobayashi Yugo.
The Japanese were up
17–7 before the Indonesians put eight straight points together, and
Sukamuljo/Ahsan eventually strung everything together to take an incredible first
game, 22–20.
Thomas Cup: Satwik / Chirag ahead
A real ding-dong battle
developing on Court 1 in the first doubles rubber between Satwik
Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India, and Denmark's scratch pair
of Kim Astrup and Mathias Christiansen.
The Danes start really
strongly but Satwik and Chirag put together a run of 8 points in 10 to hit the
front.
Chirag slips on the
slippery surface – which has been a problem all week – to let the first game
point go.
A ferocious rally
follows as the Indians finish it with a smash, as Astrup slips.
First blood in this
second fixture to India.
Thomas Cup: Ginting holds off Momota
The world number
two Momota Kento does really well to fight his way back into
the match, but that run he let Ginting go on earlier has been his downfall.
After an hour and 21
minutes, Indonesia lead in this tie. Ginting wins 21-13,
14-21, 21-12.
Tie: Indonesia 1-0 Japan
Ginting's run is finally stopped at 12
consecutive points.
Thomas Cup: Ginting an unstoppable train
Wow. Anthony Ginting has
won 10 straight points on Court 2 to lead Momota 11-2 in the deciding set.
Thomas Cup: Momota level
Over on Court 2, we're
into a decider between Anthony Ginting and Momota
Kento after the Japanese took the second game.
Thomas Cup: Axelsen puts Denmark into lead
Lakshya Sen's resistance
falls to the wayside in this second game as Axelsen asserts his authority on
this match.
The Dane opens up a
comfortable lead and sees it home to win 21-13, 21-13.
Tie: India 0-1 Denmark
Thomas Cup: Axelsen ahead
Lakshya Sen wastes his
two challenges early in this game. Axelsen pulls away quickly to bring up eight
game points, the first is saved but the second quickly made use of.
On the other court, Glinting leads Momenta handily.
Thomas Cup: All England rematch
Lakshya Sen and Viktor
Axelsen have already met twice this season.
Sen defeated Axelsen in
three games at the German Open semi-finals, coming back in the decider to win.
Axelsen gained some
revenge by defeating Sen in the All England final.
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