# Danes dethrone defending champions Japan 3-2
# Korea upset China 3-1 to face Indonesia in semis
By Rizal Abdullah
Malaysia will face European champions Denmark in the Thomas Cup semi-finals on Friday after the Danes shocked defending champions Japan 3-2 in the quarter-finals in Kunshan, China on Thursday.
In the other semi-finals South Korea will face Indonesia. The Koreans pulled off a major upset when they sent favourites and top seeds China crashing out of the competition with a surprise 3-1 score.
Viktor Axelsen put Denmark on the victory path when he won the first singles against Sho Sasaki in straight sets 21-13, 21-16 in 36 minutes.
Japan fell further behind when they also lost the first doubles. Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa were expected to win but instead the Japanese pair fell to a shock 16-21, 17-21 defeat to Mathias Boe-Mads Conrad-Petersen.
However, Takuma Ueda put the champions back into the picture when he tamed Jan O Jorgensen in the second singles in three sets 21-13, 13-21, 21-10 win.
Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda made it 2-2 on the night with a 21-15, 21-17 win over Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen forcing the outcome to be decided in the third singles and Hans-Kristian Vittinghus broke the Japanese hearts with a 23-21, 21-17 win over Riichi Takeshita.
Son Wan-ho 88 minutes to beat World No 1 Chen Long 21-12, 16-21, 21-15 to give Korea a shock 1-0 lead after the first singles.
China fell further behind after first doubles when world N0 1 Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong huffed and puffed for their 23-25, 23-21, 21-12 win over Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan in a marathon 96 minute battle.
Five time-world champion and two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan gave the vociferous home fans something to cheer and hope in his 21-10, 21-15 win over Korean youngster Lee Dong-keun in 51 minutes. But it was not to be China’s night.
The Koreans clinched a famous 3-1 win when Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang took only 32 minutes to crush Li Junhui-Zheng Siwei 21-15, 21-18 in the second doubles.
In the semi-finals on Friday the Koreans will face Indonesia.
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS (May 19)
Thomas Cup
Denmark beat Japan 3-2
(Denmark first)
Singles
Viktor Axelsen beat Sho Sasaki 21-13, 21-16
Jan O Jorgensen lost to Takuma Ueda 13-21, 21-13, 10-21
Hans-Kristian Vittinghus beat Riichi Takeshita 23-21, 21-17
Doubles
Mathias Boe-Mads Conrad-Petersen beat Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa 21-16, 21-17
Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen lost to Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda 15-21, 17-21
South Korea beat China 3-1
(Korea first)
Singles
Son Wan ho beat Chen Long 21-12, 16-21, 21-15
Lee Dong-keun lost to Lin Dan 10-21, 15-21
Doubles
Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong beat Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan 23-25, 23-21, 21-12
Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang beat Li Junhui-Zheng Siwei 21-15, 21-18
