China met little resistance against Thailand on a defining duel that sealed the fate of China as one of the contenders on the Sudirman Cup's knockout round.
China proved to be the better team in their game against Thailand on Tuesday, May 12. The team faced little opposition as China won the men's doubles 5-0 and is now one of the contenders at the Sudirman Cup's quarter-finals.
The Chinese team, composed of Fu Haifeng and Olympian Cai Yun, battled it out against Bodin Issara and Pakkawat Vilailak. Set scores are 14-21, 21-14, and 21-19.
Their victory comes as no surprise, however, as China is one of the favorites to win the badminton championship.
"I'm a reserve player now. Based on the team's needs, I can pair with anyone. Actually, we could still pair up in some team events. But in individual, there is no possibility," said 35-year-old Cai Yun, the captain of the defending champions team.
China might have cruised in this part of the cup, but the veteran pair only got to compete a handful of times in the Rio Olympics. Despite this, the pair is still quite popular.
Ma Jin and Tang Yuanting, on the other hand, won the women's doubles, while Liu Cheng and Zhao Yunlei scored another victory for China in the mixed doubles category.
As for the badminton singles, Wang Yihan sealed the deal by beating Busanan Ongbumrungpan 2-0 in the women's category, while Chen Long won his match 21-14, 21-8.
"Winning is the most important. It doesn't really matter who plays the singles, Lin Dan or me," said Chen. He is currently ranked the number one badminton player in the world. His teammate, Lin Dan, often referred to as "Super Dan," is expected to clash with Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the knockout stage.
"I know that everyone would see a match between Lin and Lee," said Chen, who might also face the Malaysian athlete. "I am drawn against him, I will play my best. I had a better head-to-head record. Anyway, Lee's comeback added drama to the men's singles."