On April 28, Beijing time, the 2024 TotalEnergies Thomas Cup and Uber Cup final entered the second match day. The national feather men's and women's teams are still unstoppable in their respective battlefields, and they have won two consecutive victories without any suspense, and the group has advanced to the quarterfinals.
The national women's team faced Canada in Group A of the Uber Cup. Like yesterday's first group game, the Chinese women's team still did not send Chen Yufei as the first singles, and He Bingjiao continued to shoulder the heavy responsibility. She is also very grateful for the team's trust in her: "Yesterday and today were both strong teams, and I feel honored to take on the task of being the No. 1 singles. “
In the duel with Li Wenshan, He Bingjiao once encountered consecutive points chased by her opponent, but fortunately, she withstood the pressure and scored the first point for the Chinese women's team with two same 21:19. "I lost points very quickly after taking the lead today, and I think that's something I need to focus on when I go back. “
Jia Yifan, the captain of the women's team who made their debut, and their partner Chen Qingchen easily won the second point for the Chinese team: "I didn't expect to send us on the field today," Jia Yifan said after the game, "because we didn't play a single Chen Yufei." Although we are veterans in the fourth and fifth years, we will definitely go all out to play every game if the organization needs it. “
Women's Doubles players Liu Shengshu/Zhang Shuxian defeated Jeslin Chow/Eleana Zhang 21-4, 21-9. Although it was a surprise to split and reorganize, the two players were ready to obey all the arrangements. "I hope to play the momentum of the opening game as soon as possible, so that our two characteristics can be brought into play in the opening game, and we are also ready to fall behind in the last game. Zhang Shuxian said.
Wang Zhiyi, who lost a crucial point in the Uber Cup final two years ago, has a deep understanding and has shown the coaching staff that she is a trustworthy candidate with her recent good form in the fifth of two consecutive games. "There have been a lot of ups and downs in the past two years, including a downturn and a rebound in form some time ago. I feel like I've become more mature in the last two years, and I'm not going to make the same mistakes as last time when I play in the Uber Cup after two years. After Wang Zhiyi won the fifth point, the Chinese women's team, which won two consecutive victories in the group stage, has advanced to the quarterfinals.
Denmark and South Korea in Group D of the Uber Cup both qualified ahead of the tournament and will face each other on 30 April for top spot in the group.
Shi Yuqi, who was well prepared, welcomed Canadian player Yang Can, who had gradually made his mark on the international stage, but the latter failed to create too many difficulties for Shi Yuqi and lost the first point. After Leung Wai Keng/Wang Chang scored the second point for the Chinese men's team, Hangzhou Asian Games men's singles champion Li Shifeng then played to secure an early qualification place for the Chinese men's team. This figure, who turned the tide in the men's team final of last year's Hangzhou Asian Games, is now an important weight for the Chinese men's team to regain the Thomas Cup.
"In the team competition, I think the atmosphere is still different from the individual competition," Li Shifeng said after the game, "The Asian Games did play better, and the Thomas Cup is a new experience, and I hope to summarize the good experience of the previous and bring it into this event." ”
He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu, who have performed well in individual competitions several times before, made their debut at the tournament, and the duo attributed their victory more to the charisma of the home atmosphere. "When you're playing at home, with so many spectators, team-mates and coaches watching you, it's more stressful and you have a stronger sense of responsibility than you normally do. Therefore, I think we should cherish every opportunity to play, play our strength for the team, and strive for this point to go all out to win. Ren Xiangyu said after the game. With Weng Hongyang's victory in the last game, the 10 members of the Chinese men's team who signed up for this tournament have all appeared.
In the soup cup, South Korea, who are in Group A with China, also won two consecutive games to qualify early, and they swept Australia 5-0. In addition, Denmark and Malaysia qualified from Group D of the Soup Cup. Denmark swept Hong Kong 5-0, but Axelsen got into a hard-fought battle with Lee Cheuk-yiu on his first appearance, and the two sides fought fiercely for 62 minutes before the Olympic champion narrowly won 21-19 in the deciding game. The Malaysian men's team led by Lee Zi Jia defeated the Algerian team without any suspense.
The battle for the final top spot in Group D of the Soup Cup will be between Denmark and Malaysia, with Axelsen and Lee Zijia in two days' time. Li Zijia said that he is also looking forward to this matchup, "I hope that I will not suffer any injuries in the next two days and make the most basic preparations." Viktor Axelsen is the favourite to win the Olympic title, and he will be my yardstick to give me an idea of what level I am at. ”
Reporter: Luo Ning Editor: Luo Ning Proofreader: Gao Xin Photography: Tang You Cup Organizing Committee