Under-strength Denmark were within a whisker of upsetting title favourites Japan but faltered at the very end in the quarter-finals of the Vivo BWF Sudirman Cup

Denmark proved a feisty opponent to Japan despite not having their best doubles players.

The Danes took it to the fifth match with the upset of the day. After Kento Momota and Nozomi Okuhara clinched the singles to give Japan a 2-1 lead, the scratch Men’s Doubles pair of Mads Pieler Kolding/Kim Astrup blew a hole in Japan’s campaign with their straight games defeat of world No.6 pair Hiroyuki Endo / Kenichi Hayakawa.

The scratch Women’s Doubles pair of Line Kjaersfeldt and Sara Thygesen nearly took the tie away from Japan in the final match. Playing fearlessly against world No.1 pair Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi , the Danes were 19-18 ahead in the third until the Japanese found a couple of last-gasp winners: 19-21 21-7 21-19.

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Korea avenged their group defeat to Malaysia, while China once again eased past Germany in the quarter-finals of the Vivo BWF Sudirman Cup

Korea’s 3-1 win was set up by Men’s Doubles stars Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong

Malaysia’s hopes were resurrected through Lee Chong Wei, who produced another masterclass in dismantling Son Wan Ho to keep his team alive in the contest.

The Malaysian showed no sign of rust despite being away from the game for eight months. Son matched him point for point through the first game, but at 17-all, Lee turned it around. Diving left and right to return certain winners, Lee frustrated Son into committing the final error and shot ahead to take the game. The distance grew in the second with Son unable to keep pace. Lee made it 1-2 with his 21-17 21-12 result.

Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei raised Malaysia’s hopes with a first-game win over Chang Ye Na/Jung Kyung Eun, but the Korean Women’s Doubles pair eventually proved too strong, 21-23 21-16 21-11.

“It is very difficult to play Lin Dan and beat him in China,” said Zwiebler.

“I played a bit better than in my previous match but it wasn’t good enough. There was a bit of drift in the hall but with his experience and skill he was able to control the shuttle.  We did the best we could but we were unlucky to draw China in the quarter-finals.”

Information from BWF

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