India’s title defense in the prestigious Thomas Cup 2024 came to an end in the quarterfinals, with a 3-1 loss to China in Chengdu. This defeat marked the end of India’s journey in the tournament, a journey that had seen some remarkable performances and intense matches.
Setback for Indian Contingent at Thomas Cup
The first singles match saw H.S. Prannoy face off against Shi Yu Qi. Prannoy started strong, taking the first game 21-15. However, Shi Yu Qi made a comeback, winning the next two games 21-11 and 21-14, respectively. This match, which lasted 66 minutes, set the tone for the rest of the tie.
The first doubles match featured the former World No. 1 men’s doubles pair from India, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. They took on the current top-ranked duo of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. Despite a spirited performance, the Indian pair lost the match in three games, 15-21, 21-11, 12-21.
Lakshya Sen was the only Indian to register a win in this tie. He came from a game down to beat Li Shi Feng in the second men’s singles match. The final scoreline read 13-21, 21-8, 21-14 in favour of Sen. His victory brought a glimmer of hope for the Indian team.
However, the second and must-win men’s doubles match saw the makeshift pair of Dhruv Kapila and K. Sai Pratheek take the court. They faced off against He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu. Unfortunately, the Indian pair lost the match in straight games, 10-21, 10-21. This loss sealed India’s fate in the tournament.
😞🏸 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝟯-𝟭 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮! Disappointment for India, as the defending Thomas Cup champions are knocked out by 🇨🇳 in the quarter-final.
Score: 🇮🇳 1 – 3 🇨🇳
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The defeat in the quarterfinals was a disappointing end to India’s campaign in the Thomas Cup 2024. The team had shown promise in the group stages, but the quarterfinal tie against China proved to be a hurdle too high to overcome.
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