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As it happened: Thomas & Uber Cup 2021, Day 6 - Thailand win marathon over Indonesia to join China, Korea, Japan in Uber Cup semis

Follow all the badminton action and get the schedule and results for Thursday, 14th October at the Thomas & Uber Cup 2021 with our LIVE BLOG

Uber Cup semi-finals set on dramatic day

That concludes today's play and Day 6 at the Thomas and Uber Cup in Aarhus, Denmark.

A day which began nearly 17 hours ago, as Japan and China completed 4-1 wins in the Thomas Cup group stages against Malaysia and India respectively.

Then we saw the Uber Cup knockout rounds begin, with straight-matches 3-0 wins for Japan, South Korea, and China over India, hosts Denmark, and Chinese Taipei respectively.

Meanwhile, Indonesia and Thailand treated us to a 6-hour barnstormer which Thailand eventually triumphed in.

So we'll be back in around 7 hours for the start of the Thomas Cup quarter-finals tomorrow morning at 8:30 am local time, as Korea face Japan and Thailand play China.

Do join us then. Good night, morning, or afternoon, wherever you are.

Uber Cup - Thailand through to semis after over 6 hours

And mercifully, after more than 6 hours, this tie is over, in Thailand's favour.

Wardoyo is no match for Chaiwan in the second game of their deciding rubber, as the Thai opens up a huge lead of 10 points early on at 15-5, then extending it to 11 points at 19-8, before seeing out the match 25-23, 21-8.

That means Thailand go through to play China, and our Uber Cup semi-finals are set.

Tie: Indonesia 2-3 Thailand

Japan play Korea and Thailand play China in tomorrow evening's semis at 7pm, in an exact repeat of the 2018 semi-finals which Japan and Thailand won respectively.

Uber Cup - Thailand edge ahead in marathon

The first game of the decider between Ester Wardoyo and Phittayaporn Chaiwan is a see-saw one.

The Thai opens up an 8-4 lead before Wardoyo pegs her back, leading 15-12 at one stage.

Then the pair repeatedly trade points on game point, with neither giving in. That's been the story of this entire tie so far, to be honest. An absolute marathon.

It's Chaiwan who eventually prevails 25-23 in 26 minutes.

Nearly 1 am in Aarhus.

Uber Cup - Heading to a deciding match

The Indonesians romp to a quick 5-0 lead in the third doubles game and pull further away to 11-5.

Puttita and Sugiarto then string a couple of points together, clawing it back to 11-9.

But after the break, Ramadhanti and Sugiarto ease away from the Thais to win the match in 1 hour 16 minutes 21-19, 15-21, 21-15.

Tie: Indonesia 2-2 Thailand

Uber Cup - Thai pair level doubles

As the clock ticks ever closer to midnight in Aarhus, Puttita and Sapsiree have taken the second game against Ramadhanti and Sugiarto.

This game was far more one-sided than the first, with the largest gap at 18-10.

The Thais eventually take it 21-15, after the Indonesians saved three game points, to level the match. Remember, a Thai win in this match would seal the tie.

Uber Cup - Second doubles rubber leans Indonesia's way

Well, well. There's something in the air (literally, given what all the players have said about the wind) at the Ceres Arena.

The second doubles match between Indonesia (Siti Ramadhanti / Ribka Sugiarto) and Thailand (Puttita Supajirakul / Sapsiree Taerattanachai) is as tight an affair as the first was.

Ramadhanti and Sugiarto had a 9-4 lead at one point, but eke out the first game 21-19.

It's 4-4 in the second, in a match Indonesia must win to take this to a deciding rubber.

Uber Cup - Highlights - TPE v CHN

Uber Cup - Thailand regain control

The second game between Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani and Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan is neck-and-neck, having looked like it wouldn't be.

The Indonesian led 11-6 at one point, before Busanan's experience came to the fore.The pair were level at 15-15, 20-20, and 21-21.

But Busanan has finally closed the match out to win 21-9, 23-21 and give Thailand a 2-1 lead.

Tie: Indonesia 1-2 Thailand

Uber Cup - Polii reacts to important win

Here's some reaction from Greysia Polii after that incredible match.

"Half an hour (to complete the match)? We wish," Polii laughed.

"When we started the game, we didn't feel like it was 100% sure we'd win the game. We knew that the Thais are a good pair, we were ready for a long match against them.

"Also with the wind on court, and the shuttle… this is ladies' doubles. We just wanted to end the game as fast as we could, but still.

"In the first, we made so many mistakes and they controlled us at the start. We still had the energy and the focus and we tried to regain the control. And that's how we led until the second when we lost it.

"We tried to get back our energy and focus (in the third) because when we entered the court, we didn't feel good, both of us. So we just tried to take it point by point.

"We really wanted to get the point for Indonesia. If we lost, in the big match (there would be problems). We wanted to extend it so that the juniors could play until the end to have the experience of competing in the big tournaments. That was what was on our mind for the team."

Uber Cup - Olympic champs Polii / Rahayu hang on

It has been an absolute marathon on Court 2 between Polii / Rahayu and Jonkolphan / Rawinda. After the pairs split the first two games 21-17 each, this decider has been equally close.

The Indonesians, the Olympic champs, led for the majority of this decider – by as much as 12-6 at one point – but the Thais turned it around to lead 17-15 before they get pegged back to 18-18.

Polii and Rahayu edge ahead to 19-18 but Jonkolphan and Rawinda are not giving in. 19-19, before the Indonesians get a match point. That is converted and this tie is level.

After over 90 minutes of play in that match alone – 1 hour and 32 minutes, to be exact, it is Indonesia 1-1 Thailand in the tie.

Strap in, folks, we've got at least two more matches to come.

Uber Cup - China reach semis

And it's all over.

All He Bingjiao needed was 26 minutes to close out a 21-14, 21-9 win.

China are through to the semis in three straight games and Chinese Taipei are out.

Tie: Chinese Taipei 0-3 China

So, all eyes now on Court 2 where Olympic doubles champs Polii and Rahayu, who dropped the second game 17-21, lead Jongkolphan and Rawinda 11-6 in the decider.

Uber Cup - He Bingjiao on the verge

After winning the first game against Hung Yi-Ting 21-14, China's He Bingjiao has asserted her complete control over the Chinese Taipei athlete in the second.

He has run out to a 15-4 lead and is six away from putting China into the semis.

Over on Court 2, we're into a third-game decider in the first doubles.

Uber Cup - China one away

The closest that third game got was 6-5 to Chen and Jia, who simply outclassed their Chinese Taipei opponentsChina's Olympic silver medallists see it out 21-10, 18-21, 21-14.

That means China, who surprisingly lost in the semi-finals to Thailand in 2018, are one win away from the semis. It'll be down to The Bingjiao to seal the deal.

Tie: Chinese Taipei 0-2 China

Over in the other semi-final, Indonesia's Polii and Rahayu have taken the first game 21-17 over Jongkolphan and Rawinda of Thailand.

Uber Cup - Chinese Taipei force doubles decider

The second game of the second rubber between Hsu Ya Ching / Hu Ling Fang and Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Chen Qingchen / Jia Yifan has gone the way of Hsu and Hu.

Chen and Jia asserted their dominance in the first, 21-10, but the second was a much closer affair and Hsu / Hu have come up on top, 21-18, to force a third game.

Over on Court 2, a shock was brewing for a while as Olympic champions Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu fell behind 8-2 to Thailand's Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai. But it's now 9-9.

Uber Cup - Chochuwong completes comeback

Pornpawee Chochuwong has survived the scare on Court 2 as she rattles off back-to-back games to overturn her first-game deficit against Gregoria Tunjung of Indonesia.

Pornpawee was in control in the second, and although Tunjung got as close as 9-8 in the third, the Thai pulled away to win 14-21, 21-10, 21-10.

Tie: Indonesia 0-1 Thailand

"Three years ago (when she lost to Tunjung), I was slower than her. Today, now I am prepared. Everyone had pressure and I just wanted to do my best and make them proud of me, and I did it," Pornpawee says after the match.

"I lost to her before and I tried every single shot, every corner, today I really fought for it. I just fought with myself – I had to control the shuttle. The wind changed a bit, but I tried to control that."

Uber Cup - China take lead as Olympic champ Chen clinches victory

Pai Yu Po saves one match point but Chen is just too good for the Chinese Taipei shuttler.

The Olympic champion Chen, who was up 16-8 at one point, closes out the second game 21-13 as Pai leaves a return from Chen that lands in bounds.

21-16, 21-13.

Tie: Chinese Taipei 0-1 China

"I hadn't played a lot in recent days, so I started out slowly as I tried to find my groove. I wasn't really aware of my opponent's style, so I took some time to get used to it," Chen says after the match.

Uber Cup - Highlights - Afternoon quarter-finals

Uber Cup - Chen holds off Pai

Pai's resistance is slowly worn down by the experienced Chen, who pulls away from 16-15 to take the first game 21-16.

Tunjung still leads Chochuwong in the first game on Court 2.

Uber Cup - Chen rallies

Pai Yu Po had surged into a surprising 8-4, then 10-7, lead in this first game against the Olympic champion Chen, but the Chinese player has reached the break 11-10 ahead.

On Court 2, Pornpawee Chochuwong is trailing her Indonesian rival Tunjung.

Welcome back!

Welcome back to our live blog coverage of the Thomas & Uber Cup from Aarhus, Denmark.

The evening's last two Uber Cup quarter-finals will be underway shortly.

Among those involved are women's singles Olympic champion Chen Yufei (CHN) – who's up first against Pai Yu Po; mixed doubles Olympic champion Huang Dongping (CHN), who could be called upon if needed in the fourth rubber; and women's doubles Olympic finallists Greysia Polii / Apriyani Rahayu (INA) and Chen Qingchen / Jia Yifan (CHN).

As a reminder, this evening's ties will be first to three matches, unlike in the group stage where all five matches of each tie were played out in full.

Evening session

So, two Uber Cup quarter-final matches remain to come tonight at 7 pm local time (UTC +2), or in about two hours from now.

We'll see Chinese Taipei take on China, and Indonesia play Thailand on Court 2.Here are the line-ups:

Chinese Taipei vs China

1.   Pai Yu Po vs Chen Yufei

2.   Hsu Ya Ching / Hu Ling Fang vs Chen Qingchen / Jia Yifan

3.   Hung Yi-Ting vs He Bin

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