Thomas and Uber Cup 2018: Former Olympic champion Li Xuerui named in Chinese squad

China’s title defence in Uber Cup 2018 received a major shot in the arm after one of its former superstars -- the 2012 Olympic champion Li Xuerui -- was named in the squad on Thursday. The 27-year-old, a winner of 24 international titles, returns to the big stage after being sidelined for nearly two years due to injuries.

Xuerui, who was a part of China’s deadly trinity in women’s singles even a few years back, will now be the fourth player behind Chen Yufei, He Bingjiao, and Gao Fangjie at the Uber Cup to be held in Bangkok from May 20-27.

Along with the now retired Wang Yihan and Wang Shixian, Xuerui ruled women’s singles until being struck down by a devastating knee injury at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The former World No. 1 could barely stand during her semi-final encounter with the eventual champion Carolina Marin and went down in straight games.

Initially thought to be just a knee sprain, the MRI revealed a tough road ahead for one of the world’s best shuttlers. Li suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and injury of the lateral meniscus as well, due to which she could not even compete in the bronze medal match against Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara.

Xuerui being treated on the court following her injury

It signalled not only a slide in the rankings for Li, but also an end to the Chinese hegemony in women’s singles badminton. The country that produced some of the world’s very best, struggled in that discipline as none of their rising stars could taste glory in the Superseries circuit in 2017.

After 600 days, the now-fit Xuerui finally returned to competition at the China Masters this April. Now ranked beyond the top 200, she emerged victorious at that Super 100 event to underline the fact that she is very much back in business.

Li’s vast experience will definitely come in handy at the Uber Cup, where China has been placed in Group D alongside Malaysia, Indonesia and France. And not only that, her return might just see China clawing their way back to the top in the circuit, where they once belonged.