A Thomas Cup Final for the Ages

A Thomas Cup Final for the Ages

In the cauldron of possibilities that was the Thomas Cup final, the contest was between the familiar and the unfamiliar.

Familiar was in seeing a team win the title for the 12th time, with personnel who are prime exhibits of a system that has proven itself time and time again over decades. Unfamiliar was in witnessing the rise of a new power, fresh faces and purveyors of a radically different approach to badminton.

Familiar trumped unfamiliar – only just – as China claimed their 12th title, beating France 3-1.

What could have emerged from that cauldron of possibilities had Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov converted their narrow leads at the death against Shi Yu Qi and Weng Hong Yang in the first and third singles?

For now, France will contemplate those “what if” possibilities. They had done everything in their power and beyond. They had prised the door open, got their foot in, but couldn’t quite force themselves in against the indomitable will of Shi and his comrades.

Everything about the French performance underlined that they are a genuine powerhouse, able to match the best in the business. Neither overawed by the biggest stage of their lives, nor intimidated by their opponents’ reputations, the French contested toe-to-toe over the first three matches.

Christo’s opener with Shi was what Thomas Cup dreams are made of – an epic contest of the best that badminton has to offer. Shi, still recovering from the effects of a gastroenteritis infection picked up early in the tournament, appeared far too gone between points but transformed himself during the rallies, soaring impossibly in the air and bludgeoning unreturnable smashes. Christo, all silken movement and sharp angles, absorbed everything and posed difficult questions of his own. Christo had his nose ahead at 16-14 in the third but Shi somehow conjured a victory. Not for the first time, his ability to choose the right shots at the right moments, and executing them with perfect control and precision, was the difference. That he could do it after an hour of punishing badminton, and with depleted reserves due to the stomach infection, elevates him as a contemporary great.

“I knew even though I had a lead with Shi, he’s a really good player to come back, and he just came back at the right time, and at the end, it was just about a few details; he was sharper than me in attack,” said Christo. “Sometimes even with good lifts, he just hit winners. He was better than me, especially in the third game when he came back, and then a few mistakes from my side that made me lose.

“The experience was amazing. I really wanted to win. I was very close to the win but a few mistakes at the end cost me.”

Shi had high praise for the Frenchman.

“He displayed a very, very high performance and we both played very smart. It was a very difficult match; I tried my best to win so that it could encourage my teammates. I was looking to pass on motivation to them.”

BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul with the victorious Chinese team.

France’s best-case scenario – winning all three singles – was dented, but to their credit, they never stopped believing. Alex Lanier stepped up and kept his team in the hunt, a quick 21-13 21-10 decimation of Li Shi Feng.

And then Weng Hong Yang against Toma Junior Popov, yet another contest on a knife edge. Just one point separated the two on the 96th minute when Weng, facing Toma’s serve at 19-20, produced a delectable piece of deception with his return, leaving his opponent flatfooted.

The second win in singles all but took the wind out of France’s sails. Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi threw everything at He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu, but the Chinese had the bigger weapons and closed it out in 38 minutes.

France lost the tie, but the alchemy of vision, ability and effort had helped them co-star in a classic that will be remembered among the great Thomas Cup finals.

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