Thomas Cup 2024: India finish second after going down to Indonesia 4-1 in final group stage match, qualify for quarterfinals

The final day of the group stage matches of the prestigious Thomas Cup 2024, taking place in Chengdu, China, saw a repeat of the final from the last edition. Defending champions India took on Indonesia in a tie that would decide which team topped the table in Group C.

Unlike the final in 2022, the Indonesian shuttlers finished on top this time around. Determined to avenge their loss, they beat their Indian counterparts 4-1 in a thrilling contest that saw four of the five matches go the distance.

In the opening match of the tie, India's HS Prannoy faced off against Indonesia's Anthony Ginting. Initially, Ginting dominated proceedings, controlling most of the rallies and capitalizing on Prannoy's unforced errors.

However, the tide turned dramatically in the second set as Prannoy, with a newfound intensity, found his rhythm. The Indian shuttler was seen pumped up and shouting after each point, something that fans have rarely seen from the 31-year-old before.

After the initial neck-to-neck battle till 8-8, Prannoy surged ahead, ultimately claiming the set 21-12. He clinched the next set with identical scores as the previous one and sealed the match in just over an hour. The final scoreline of the match was 13-21, 21-12, 21-12 in favor of Prannoy.

With the tie now 1-0 in India's favor, the World No. 3 Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced off against Muhammad Fikri and Bagas Maulana. The Indonesian pair beat the Indians at the All-England Championships earlier in the year.

The first set of the match was a closely contested affair, with Fikri and Maulana narrowly edging out the Indian pair 24-22. The second set saw the Indonesians continue their momentum from the first game and race ahead to match point, leading 20-14.

However, Shetty and Rankireddy staged a remarkable comeback, saving six match points, to level the score and eventually take the set 24-22. However, in the final game, Fikri and Maulana managed to maintain their composure, securing victory with a score of 21-19 and leveling the tie.

The second singles saw Lakshya Sen go down to Jonatan Christie in a nail-biting three-set battle. The score of the match was 18-21, 21-16, 17-21 in favor of Christie. Indonesia’s Leo Carnando and Daniel Marthin beat Dhruv Kapila and Sai Pratheek 22-20, 21-11, in the second doubles to hand Indonesia the tie.

The final game, a mere formality, saw former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth go down to Chico Dwiwardoyo in another thrilling three-set battle. The final score of the match was 21-19, 22-24, 14-21.

Indonesia ultimately won the tie 4-1 to top the table, while India finished second. Both India and Indonesia have secured their place in the quarterfinals. India will now take on hosts China in the quarterfinals on May 2.

India's Thomas Cup 2024 results against Indonesia:

Men’s Singles 1

HS Prannoy (India) beat Anthony Ginting (Indonesia) 13-21, 21-12, 21-12

Men's Doubles 1

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (India) lost to Muhammad Fikri/Bagas Maulana (Indonesia) 22-24, 24-22, 19-21

Men's Singles 2

Lakshya Sen (India) lost to Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) 18-21, 21-16, 17-21

Men's Doubles 2

Sai Pratheek/Dhruv Kapila (India) lost to

Leo Carnando/Daniel Marthin (Indonesia) 20-22, 11-21

Men's Singles 3

Kidambi Srikanth (India) lost to Chico Dwiwardoyo (Indonesia) 21-19, 22-24, 14-21