# Kien Keat-Boon Heong fall to a shock defeat
# Chong Wei, Wei Feng and Soon Huat deliver as Iskandar was rested
# Defending Thomas Cup champions Japan beat France 5-0
# Uber Cup – Defending champions China thrash Malaysia 5-0
By Rizal Abdullah
Chong Wei Feng and Goh Soon Huat delivered as Malaysia, runners-up to Japan in the last edition, defeated England 4-1 in their opening Group C match in the Thomas Cup Finals in Kunshan, China on Sunday.
Skipper Datuk Lee Chong Wei won the opening point for Malaysia with a 21-15, 21-11 win over Toby Penty in 34 minutes as England sprang a surprise by resting their No 1 Rajiv Ouseph.
Malaysia’s top doubles pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong delivered the second point with a 21-12, 21-17 win over England No 1 Marcus Ellis-Chris Langridge in a 40 minute match.
Wei Feng, who made the Thomas Cup team despite quitting the national outfit following a string of poor results, justified his inclusion and delivered as Malaysia’s second singles – defeating Sam Parsons 21-10, 21-10.
However, Malaysia’s hopes of a 5-0 win were dashed when professionals Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong succumbed to a 18-21, 21-13, 21-17 defeat to unheralded Peter Briggs-Tom Wolfenden in 45 minutes.
Soon Huat, whose inclusion in the team to Kunshan delivered Malaysia’s fourth point with a 21-15, 19-21, 21-13 win over Alex Lane.
In the Ubder Cup, Malaysia were no match to China as the defending champions romped to a 5-0 win although the Malaysians gave a heartwarming performance in the doubles by stretching their much touted Chinese opponents in their three set defeats.
It was heartbreak for Malaysia’s No 1 doubles pair of Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei who squandered a golden opportunity to take a point off the Chinese world No 3 pair of Tang Yuanting-Yu Yang.
The Malaysians were comfortably leading 18-11 in the rubber but blew up in their haste to get the winning points to allow the Chinese stage a remarkable comeback for a 21-11, 14-21, 21-18 win in a 56 minute match.
Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean also gave a good account of themselves before allowing their China opponents Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei a 21-15, 19-21, 21-11 win in a match which went 69 minutes.
Meanwhile, fourth seeds Thailand, powered by former world No 1 Ratchanok Intanon got off to a roaring start to their Uber Cup campaign with an easy 4-1 win over Hong Kong in their opening Group C match in Kunshan, China on Sunday.
And it was double joy for the Thais when their men’s team edged India 3-2 in their opening Group B match. The other teams in the group are Indonesia and Hong Kong.
Ratchanok, a three-time world junior and the 2013 world champion strolled to an easy 21-18, 21-15 win in her singles match against Yip Pui Yin to give Thailand the first point.
Thailand also won the first doubles through Puttita Supajirakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai who made short-work of Tsz Ying Suet-Yuen Sin Ying 21-16, 21-18 for a 2-0 lead.
However, Thailand’s second singles Busanan Ongbumrungphan suffered a shock straight set 21-14, 21-13 defeat to Cheung Ngan Yi and Hong Kong were back in the picture.
But that was as far as Hong Kong went as the Thais collected their next two points through Jongklophan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjal (second doubles) and Nitchaon Jindapol (third singles for a 4-1 win.
In another Group C match Indonesia strolled past Bulgaria with a 5-0 whitewash and are expected to battle it out with Thailand for the top two places in the group and advance to the knockout stage.
Thailand’s Thomas Cup team, however, were made to struggle by the Indians who came to Kunshan without their top singles player K. Srikanth, who is focused on doing well in the Rio Olympics in August.
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk won Thailand’s first point with a hard fought 21-16, 12-21, 21-14 win in the first singles. Bodin Issara-Nipitphon Puangpuapech snuffed out India’s No 1 pair Manu Attri-B. Sumeeth Reddy 21-17, 21-6 and it turned the tide in Thailand’s favour.
After India’s B. Sai Praneeth gave India a glimmer of hope by winning the second singles against Khosit Phetpradap 21-11, 21-16 it was all over for the Indians when their second doubles Akshay Dewalkar-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy fell to Thailands Puavaranukroh Dechapol-Kedren Kittinupong 21-15, 14-21, 21-15.
THOMAS CUP RESULTS
GROUP A
China 5 Mexico 0
Japan 5 France 0
GROUP B
Indonesia 5 Hong Kong 0
Thailand beat India 3-2
(Thailand first)
Singles
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk beat Ajay Jayaram 21-16, 12-21, 21-14
Khosit Phetpradab lost to B. Sai Praneeth 11-21, 16-21
Adulrach Namkul lost to Sourabh Varma 17-21, 21-16, 19-21
Doubles
Bodin Issara-Nipitphon Puangpuapech beat Manu Attri-B. Sumeeth Reddy 21-17, 21-6
Puavaranukroh Dechapol-Kedren Kitinupong beat Akshat Dewalkar-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy 21-15, 14-21, 21-15
GROUP C
South Korea beat Germany 5-0
(Korea first)
Singles
Son Wan-ho beat Marc Zwiebler 21-13, 21-9
Jeon Hyeok-jin beat Kai Schaefer 21-9, 21-18
Heo Kwang-hee beat Lars Schaenzler 21-10, 21-18
Doubles
Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang beat Fabian Holzer-Johannes Pistorius 21-6, 21-7
Ko Sung-hyun-Shin Baek-cheol beat Mark Lamsfuss-Josche Zurwonne 21-16, 21-13
Malaysia beat England 4-1
Singles
Lee Chong Wei beat Toby Penty 21-15, 21-11
Chong Wei Feng beat Sam Parsons 21-10, 21-10
Goh Soon Huat beat Alex Lane 21-15, 19-21, 21-13
Doubles
Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong beat Marcus Ellis-Chris Langridge 21-1, 21-17
Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong lost to Peter Briggs-Tom Wolfenden 21-18, 13-21, 17-21
UBER CUP
GROUP A
Denmark 4 Spain 1
China beat Malaysia 5-0
(China first)
Singles
Li Xuerui beat Tee Jing Yi 21-13, 21-11
Wang Yihan beat Goh Jin Wei 21-16, 21-14
Sun Yu beat Soniia Cheah 21-9, 21-10
Doubles
Tang Yuanting-Yu Yang beat Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei 21-11, 14-21, 21-18
Tian Qiang-Zhao Yunlei beat Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean 21-15, 19-21
GROUP C
Thailand beat Hong Kong 4-1
(Thailand first)
Singles
Ratchanok Intanon beat Yip Pui Yin 21-18, 21-15
Busanan Ongbumrungphan lost to Cheung Ngan Yi 14-21, 13-21
Nitchaon Jindapol beat Cheung Ying Mei 21-11, 21-14
Doubles
Puttita Supajirakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai beat Tze Ying Suet-Yuen Sin Ying 21-16, 21-18
Jongkolphan Kititharakul Prajongjal beat Ng Tsz Yau-Yeung Nga Ting 21-7, 21-17
GROUP C
Indonesia beat Bulgaria 5-0
(Indonesia first)
Singles
Maria Febe Kusumastuti beat Linda Zetchiri 21-12, 24-22
Fitriani Fitriani beat Petya Nedchelva 21-9, 21-15
Hana Ramadhini beat Mariya Mistsova 21-17, 21-16
Doubles
Anggia Shitty Awanada-Mahadewi Istirani Ni Ketut beat Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva 21-16, 15-21, 21-18
Della Destiara Haris-Rosyita Eka Putri Sari beat Mariya Mitsova-Petya Nedchelva 21-9, 21-11
