M’sia book ticket to Thomas Cup finals
Posted on February 18, 2012, Saturday
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, despite fielding their weakest team in years, advanced to the Thomas Cup Finals in Wuhan, China after beating India 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the Asia qualifiers in Macau on Thursday.
Team skipper Datuk Lee Chong Wei set the path for the win despite dropping a game, by beating unknown Indian first singles player Ajay Jayaram 21-12, 17-21, 21-8 in 47 minutes.
Doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong who had performed brilliantly against South Korea in the group matches, then stretched Malaysia’s lead by beating Rupesh Kumar-Sanave Thomas 21-14, 23-21.
Malaysia’s winning point was delivered by former All England champion Hafiz Hashim, who beat P. Kashyap 21-17, 18- 21-18, 21-11 for his first win in the competition after two consecutive loses against opponents from Hong Kong and South Korea in the group matches.
Malaysia play Japan in the
semi-finals but Chong Wei and doubles pair Kien Keat-Boon Heong are expected to be rested since Malaysia had already qualified.
Four Asian teams from the Macau qualifiers advance to the Thomas Cup finals in Wuhan which will comprise 12 teams.
Meanwhile, the national women’s squad lost 2-3 to Hong Kong in the play-off for fifth-to-eighth placings in the round-robin format of the Uber Cup qualifiers yesterday.
Malaysia should win the competition which includes Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong to grab the final slot to the final round of the Uber Cup to be held in Wuhan, China from May 20 to 27. — Bernama
Results:
Thomas Cup
Lee Chong Wei bt Ajay Jayaram 21-12, 17-21, 21-8;
Koo Kean Kiat/Tan Boon Heong bt Rupesh Kumar/Sanave Thomas 21-14, 23-21
Hafiz Hashim bt Kasyap Parupalli 21-17, 18-21, 21-11
Uber Cup:
Tee Jing Yi lost to Ratchanok Inthanon 8-21, 7-21;
Lydia Cheah lost to Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 19-21, 13-21;
Yang Li Lian lost to Sapsiree Taerattanachai 12-21, 10-21. — Bernama
