CHENGDU, April 29 — Time to leave the Viking warriors stunned on the battlefield.
With the cards seemingly stacked against them, Malaysia knows that only a win against Denmark in a crucial Group D tie tomorrow would take them to top the group and pave a smoother path in the quarter-finals draw.
Team captain and men’s doubles player Soh Wooi Yik has rallied his teammates to be confident when they take on their next opponent during the world’s most prestigious badminton team tournament at the Chengdu High-Tech Zone Sports Centre.
“It is surely going to be a tough game for us, and we must be fully prepared for tomorrow. I have a responsibility to also earn a point and try my best for Malaysia,” he told the Malaysian press today.
In anticipation of a possible showdown against the world number four Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Soh vowed that he and his partner, Aaron Chia, will put 100 per cent effort into outplaying their rival.
Chia-Soh boasts quite a favourable record against Astrup-Rasmussen, picking up six wins in nine meetings so far.
Though Malaysia looked more stable in the doubles department, professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia will be crucial to score a point for the understrength men’s singles camp.
However, a formidable challenge awaits him as he will likely go head-to-head against the world number one Viktor Axelsen in the opening match.
Axelsen had won five, while Lee emerged victorious three times based on their previous eight meetings.
Lee, who is gearing up to play Axelsen, also puts trust in his other teammates to shine against the Danes.
“Anything is possible now but what is important is that I believe in my teammates,” he said.
In the meantime, Axelsen has refrained from dwelling too much on a potential bout against the world number 10 Lee while emphasising the tough competition Malaysia presents.
His teammate and third singles, Rasmus Gemke, will do everything he can to ensure Denmark overthrows Malaysia and becomes Group D champion.
The last encounter between both teams saw Denmark edged Malaysia 3-2 in the final Group D match of the Thomas Cup 2022 in Bangkok.
Malaysia kicked off the Thomas Cup 2024 in style with a convincing 5-0 win each against Hong Kong on Saturday (April 27), followed by minnows Algeria yesterday.
Denmark, on the other hand, opened their group campaign with similar dominance, defeating Algeria last Saturday and Hong Kong yesterday with an identical scoreline.
The Thomas Cup 2024 runs until May 5.
— Bernama
