From Amiril Muttaqien Meketar
HORSENS (Denmark), April 29 (Bernama) -- Denmark needed just one point to keep their Thomas Cup Finals 2026 campaign alive and they delivered when it mattered most.
In a dramatic Group C showdown at Forum Horsens here tonight, the hosts secured their place in the quarter-finals despite a 2-3 defeat to dark horse Taiwan.
With race to the last eight hanging in the balance, world No. 3 Anders Antonsen stepped up to hand the 2016 edition champions the crucial breakthrough, battling for 82 minutes to overcome world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen 21-14, 13-21, 21-15.
Speaking after the match, Antonsen, who levelled his head-to-head record at 8-8 against Tien Chen, was delighted to have delivered the crucial point that secured Denmark’s place in the last eight.
“It was phenomenal...very intense and always difficult match with Tien Chen. I also had a good feeling to seal and sign a place in the quarter-finals, so we don’t have to worry about that,” he said.
Taiwan, however, refused to go down without a fight.
They drew level through their top doubles pair Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-Lin, who brushed aside Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard 21-7, 22-20.
Denmark regained the lead when second singles and world No. 41 Magnus Johannesen pulled off a stunning upset over All England 2026 champion Lin Chun-Yi, 21-17, 16-21, 21-19.
However, Taiwan struck back again in the second doubles, with Liu Kuang Heng-Yang Po-Hsuan edging Kim Astrup-Mathias Christiansen 24-22, 21-17 to make it 2-2.
In the decisive tie, world No. 21 Chi Yu Jen rose to the occasion by surviving rubber set battle against world No. 63 Ditlev Jaeger Holm, 21-11, 9-21, 27-25, to send Taiwan through to the quarter-finals as Group C champions.
Despite a commanding 5-0 victory over Sweden, South Korea fell short of overtaking Denmark, who advanced as Group C runners-up.
Only the top two teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup Finals 2026, which will run until May 3.
-- BERNAMA
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