In the end, Justin Hoh’s challenge might have faded away, but by then the Malaysian had made an invaluable contribution to his country’s Thomas Cup campaign.
The world No.233, who has played just one tournament this year after suffering an injury last October, had kept the chances of Malaysia’s upset win over Denmark alive until midway in the third game against the heavily favoured Rasmus Gemke, in Group D’s final encounter. In doing so, Hoh had signalled that his team’s chances in third singles could hardly be written off in the knockout rounds.
Denmark had taken the lead though the high-profile opening singles, with Viktor Axelsen nearly impeccable under pressure in a tight second game against Lee Zii Jia. With Malaysia leveraging their strength in doubles, it went down to the fifth match, with Hoh against Gemke.
“It’s my first Thomas Cup, so there was pressure,” said Hoh. “I felt it in the deciding game. My opponent played well, so I can learn from him and my own mistakes. In the third game I couldn’t follow his speed and power.”
“It’s nice to win the deciding match and bring the victory for Denmark and we got to be No.1 so it’s an advantage for the quarterfinals,” said Gemke. “I was prepared for it but it can go both ways. I’ve been watching a bit of him on YouTube – he’s an explosive guy, and a youngster who comes with a lot of power and speed. I had to play my best to keep up with him. When I found my rhythm, I controlled the game. I stayed a bit calmer in the third game, so patience was important.”
Title favourites China were also taken to the fifth match of their final Group A tie by Korea, whose strength in doubles helped them level at 2-2. Scratch combination Ki Dong Ju/Kim Won Ho kept their nerve in a tight finish against Liu Yu Chen/Ou Xuan Yi but China packed too much firepower in the third singles as Lu Guang Zu blew aside Woo Seung Hoon – ranked a distant No.1,439 – in straight games.
→ Results
WHAT OTHERS SAID: