BANGKOK, May 12 — Group D champions Malaysia have been handed a favourable draw in the last eight of the 2022 Thomas Cup Finals here as they will be playing Group C runners-up India today.
If Malaysia qualifies for the semi-finals, they will play either South Korea or Denmark.
Today’s draw also pits reigning champions Indonesia against China in what is a repeat of last year’s final while Group C champions Taiwan will take on Japan.
Commenting on the draw, the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s high-performance director Dr Tim Jones said they won’t take India lightly as they have quite a formidable line-up this year.
“I mean to be fair we feel quite confident after playing Japan, and we are quite happy to meet anyone at this point, so bring it on, quarter-finals,” he told reporters when met after the knockout stage draw session.
Tim was also pleased to see Malaysia’s victory against 2014 champions Japan, especially Lee Zii Jia’s strong display against Kento Momota which he believed would boost his confidence in the last eight against India.
Meanwhile, Zii Jia believed that matches in the last eight would be evenly contested as some of the top players such as Momota and Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting are having a bad run at the moment.
Zii Jia had earlier come out tops against his main rival Momota 21-17, 21-8 to help Malaysia emerge as the Group D champions after edging Japan 3-2.
Team captain Aaron Chia, who combined with his former partner in the 2018 edition, Teo Ee Yi, to deliver the winning point by beating Japan’s Akira Koga-Yuta Watanabe 22-20, 21-17, is praying hard that Malaysia will do well in the last eight.
— Bernama
