On Thursday evening, the Chinese men’s badminton team delivered a commanding performance, defeating Malaysia 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Thomas Cup. This victory follows the Chinese women’s team’s similar 3-0 win over Malaysia in the Uber Cup quarterfinals the previous day.
After the Thomas Cup knockout draw paired China with Malaysia once again, echoing their Uber Cup matchup, the Chinese men’s team prepared diligently with technical and strength training sessions on both the morning and afternoon of the rest day.
The clash began at 10:00 AM local time in Denmark on Court 1. Shi Yuqi faced Leong Jun Hao in the first singles match. The two had previously met only once, at the 2025 Xiamen Sudirman Cup, where Shi won easily. However, uncertainty loomed as Shi had been sidelined due to illness after his group stage debut on April 24, missing a week of competition and not fully recovered.
Shi Yuqi dominated the first game, winning 21-10. However, his energy dipped in the second, leading to a 16-21 loss. In the decisive third game, Shi regained his form with an explosive 11-0 start, closing out the match 21-9. After the match, Shi admitted he was still recovering: “The day after playing Canada, I tried to train, but after a few shots I felt breathless and nauseous. With India coming up, I was under a lot of pressure to recover, but it was tough, so I rested for that match. These past few days, I’ve been trying to recover, but I can’t eat much.”
In the first doubles match, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang faced their familiar rivals Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. Despite Malaysia experimenting with doubles combinations in the group stage, “Liang Wang” were confident the opponents would field their original pairing, which proved correct. They won a tense first game 24-22 after deuce, then took the second 21-14.
After securing the hard-fought win, Liang and Wang expressed the pressure and thrill of team competition. “When Qi ge was sick, we stepped up. Today we told him, ‘Go for it boldly. We’ve got your back!'”
With a 2-0 lead, second singles player Li Shifeng played with greater freedom, defeating Justin Hoh 21-14, 21-13, sealing the 3-0 victory for China and a spot in the semifinals.
In the other quarterfinal in the lower half, India defeated Chinese Taipei 3-0 to secure a semifinal berth. Later Thursday evening, the remaining Thomas Cup quarterfinals will determine the last two semifinalists: host Denmark faces Thailand, with the winner to meet China in Friday’s semifinal, while France and Japan battle for the other spot in the lower half.
