Badminton

The 2019 Sudirman Cup will begin on Sunday, as the world's best badminton players battle it out for international glory.

The 16th edition of the competition will run from May 19 to May 26 in Nanning, China, as champions South Korea aim to retain their title.

Here's the complete group draw and the full schedule:

                            

Group 1A

• Japan
• Thailand
• Russia

Group 1B

• Indonesia
• Denmark
• England

Group 1C

• Chinese Taipei
• South Korea
• Hong Kong

Group 1D

• China
• India
• Malaysia

Group 2A

• Netherlands
• France
• USA
• Vietnam

Group 2B

• Germany
• Canada
• Singapore
• Israel

Group 3A

• Ireland
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Nepal

Group 3B

• Switzerland
• Sri Lanka
• Slovakia
• Lithuania

Group 4

• Macau
• Kazakhstan
• Greenland

                      

Here's the full schedule:

Sunday, May 19

• Indonesia vs. England (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Saturday)
• Chinese Taipei vs. Hong Kong (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• China vs. Malaysia (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Netherlands vs. Vietnam (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Saturday)
• France vs. USA (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Saturday)
• Canada vs. Singapore (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Saturday)
• Germany vs. Israel (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Ireland vs. Nepal (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Saturday)
• Australia vs. New Zealand (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Macau vs. Greenland (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)

Monday, May 20

• Japan vs. Russia (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Sunday)
• Denmark vs. England (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• South Korea vs. Hong Kong (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Netherlands vs. USA (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Sunday)
• France vs. Vietnam (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Sunday)
• Germany vs. Singapore (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Canada vs. Israel (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Switzerland vs. Lithuania (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Sunday)
• Sri Lanka vs. Slovakia (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Sunday)

Tuesday, May 21

• Thailand vs. Russia (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• India vs. Malaysia (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Monday)
• USA vs. Vietnam (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Monday)
• Netherlands vs. France (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Ireland vs. New Zealand (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Monday)
• Australia vs. Nepal (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Monday)
• Switzerland vs. Slovakia (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Sri Lanka vs. Lithuania (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Kazakhstan vs. Greenland (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Monday)

Wednesday, May 22

• Japan vs. Thailand (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Indonesia vs. Denmark (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Tuesday)
• China vs. India (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Tuesday)
• Germany vs. Canada (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Tuesday)
• Singapore vs. Israel (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Tuesday)
• Ireland vs. Australia (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Tuesday)
• New Zealand vs. Nepal (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Switzerland vs. Sri Lanka (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)
• Slovakia vs. Lithuania (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)

Thursday, May 23

• Macau vs. Kazakhstan (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Wednesday)
• Quarter-final 1 (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Wednesday)
• Quarter-final 2 (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)

Friday, May 24

• Quarter-final 3 (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Thursday)
• Quarter-final 4 (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)

Saturday, May 25

• Semi-final 1 (11 a.m. local, 4 a.m. BST, 11 p.m. ET Friday)
• Semi-final 2 (6 p.m. local, 11 a.m. BST, 6 a.m. ET)

Sunday, May 26

• Final (1 p.m. local, 6 a.m. BST, 1 a.m. ET)

                       

With the tournament on home soil for the fifth time, China will be out for revenge after losing to South Korea in the 2017 final.

The defeat ended their bid to win the Sudirman Cup for the seventh tournament running; the last time they had failed to win the trophy came in 2003, when South Korea also came out on top against them in the final:

Sudirman Cup Hosts & Winners throughout the years.

China has won it 10 times, Korea has won it 4 times..

Indonesia only won it during the first edition but has lost 6 Finals since.

Who will in the #SudirmanCup2019 ? pic.twitter.com/W7pnRRB5R2

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) May 14, 2019

Despite their record, they are seeded second for the tournament behind Japan.

Japan have never won the tournament, but a number of their players have been excellent in 2019.

Kento Momota won the men's singles events at the German Open, All England Open and Singapore Open, while Koki Watanabe did the same at the Orleans Masters.

Akane Yamaguchi and Saena Kawakami won the women's singles in Germany and Orleans, respectively, while across the men's, women's and mixed doubles, Japan have had six tournament victories overall.

Here's a look at how the team is shaping up ahead of the tournament:

Japan (Group 1A)
Seed: 1

Sudirman Cup H2H:
JPN 1-4 THA
JPN 2-2 RUS

Participation: 16th time

Best achievement: Runner-up (2015)

2017: Semi Final

Top players:
Kento Momota
Nozomi Okuhara
Kamura/Sonoda
Matsumoto/Nagahara
Watanabe/Higashino#KuliahMintalk #SudirmanCup2019 pic.twitter.com/2GEmA23zGr

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) May 16, 2019

The Japanese have only beaten Group 1A opponents Thailand once in five meetings at the Sudirman Cup, and they've been evenly matched with Russia in four matches. 

If they're to live up to their seeding and challenge the likes of China and South Korea in the knockout phase, they will need to perform better than they have historically against their opponents.

Japan's Kento Momota became the first-ever male Japanese player to win gold at the Badminton World Championships on Sunday, beating China's Shi Yuqi in the final.

As Badminton Talk shared, the 23-year-old put together a dominant outing:

FINAL-MS
Kento Momota (JPN/6) vs Shi Yuqi (CHN/3)

21-11 21-13

MOMOTA HAS DONE IT! HE IS THE FIRST MALE PLAYER FROM JAPAN IN HISTORY TO WIN the World Championships!

WOWWWW!!#BWFWC2018TVRI pic.twitter.com/VHfgSCqgIe

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) August 5, 2018

In the women's final, Olympic champion Carolina Marin reclaimed her world title, winning her third gold medal. She was also the 2015 and 2016 champion and beat PV Sindhu in the final.

Momota had been among the top-form players all week, underlining his dominance with a routine win over Liew Daren in the semi-finals. Yuqi had to work his way past Olympic champion Chen Long, setting up a battle between two of the sport's top young talents in the final.

The 22-year-old Yuqi may have been the higher seed, but experience was on Momota's side. He made it to the semi-finals of this tournament in 2015, and with his win in the Asian Championships this year, 2018 has belonged to him.

Since his return from a gambling suspension, he has been on a tear:

Kento Momota since come back

Runner-Up
2017 Canada Open GP
2018 Malaysia Open S750
2018 Thomas Cup

Winners
2017 K&D Graphics IS
2017 Belgian IC
2017 Czech IC
2017 Dutch GP
2017 Macau GPG
2018 Vietnam IC
2018 BAC
2018 Indonesia Open S1000
2018 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS#BWFWC2018TVRI

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) August 5, 2018

The women's final was a repeat of the 2016 Olympic final, but this time Marin needed just two sets to get past Sindhu. After a close opening set, the 25-year-old shifted gears and crushed her opponent in the second, winning 21-19, 21-10.

She too made history with the win:

HISTORY FOR SPAIN!!

HISTORY FOR MARIN!!

HISTORY FOR BADMINTON!!

Carolina Marin: first player to win World Championshops in WS discipline THREE times!

Espectacular!#BWFWC2018TVRI pic.twitter.com/Jk2oS0oluO

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) August 5, 2018

Marin has been the dominant force in European badminton for some time, but usually European players have a hard time translating that success on Asian soil. She has won two of her three medals in Indonesia and China, respectively, however, and has done all of that by the age of 25.

Sindhu is two years younger than her and still has ample room to grow as a player, and it would appear this rivalry is only just getting started.

Hosts China predictably took the gold medals in the men's and mixed doubles events, and in an all-Japanese final, the gold in the women's doubles went to Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara.

The tournament will return to Europe next year, with the Swiss city of Basel chosen to host.

The 2018 Badminton World Championships will start on Monday as the world's best compete in Nanjing, China.

The tournament will run from Monday through to Sunday, and BadmintonWorld.tv will be streaming the matches live as well as providing catch-up of the action.

A complete draw for the championships can be found at the tournament's official website for all five events; men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles.

Here's the schedule for each round (all times local/BST/ET):

• Preliminary rounds: July 30, 31, August 1, 2 (from 10 a.m./3 a.m./10 p.m.)
• Quarter-finals: August 3 (from 11 a.m./4 a.m./11 p.m. and 6 p.m./11 a.m./6 a.m.)
• Semi-finals: August 4 (from 11 a.m./4 a.m./11 p.m. and 6 p.m./11 a.m./6 a.m.)
• Finals: August 5 (from 1 p.m./6 a.m./1 a.m.)

The Badminton World Federation shared a look at who to watch for during the tournament:

The most winning players in 2018 BWF World Tour

3⃣ 🏆🏆🏆
3⃣ 🏆🏆🏆🏆
2⃣ 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

#badminton #HSBCBWFbadminton pic.twitter.com/3Dq296QytC

— BWF (@bwfmedia) July 22, 2018

Defending champion and world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen will be the one to beat in the men's singles draw.

The 24-year-old is hoping to use his victory in last year's World Championships as a platform for future success.

Per the Olympic Channel, the Dane—who picked up bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro—said:

"Being a men's singles badminton player, I think that everyone dreams of becoming world champion once in your career. To achieve that in 2017 was a big dream of mine coming true. I didn't really think that it would happen so soon.

"It has definitely been a change in my career. It has also given me the belief that I can achieve even more. But it will be really tough to win it again, however, I believe that I can do so."

Axelsen has had a challenging year in 2018 having dealt with ankle surgery in February and breathing difficulties brought on by allergies. In his first tournament back after the former, though, he showed his class by winning the European Badminton Championships in April.

As fellow Danish player Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus noted, there are many feathers in his cap:

So @ViktorAxelsen is now reigning:
World Champion
European Champion
World men’s team champion
European mixed team champion
Oh and of course world no. 1!
What a star we have in Danish badminton! ⭐️🇩🇰🏸 #DanishDynamite

— HK Vittinghus (@hkvittinghus) April 29, 2018

He faces a tricky draw in Nanjing, as a potential clash with Olympic champion Chen Long of China awaits him in the quarter-finals.

Axelsen won't have to meet Japanese rival Kento Momota until the final, though, which is good news given the latter's record against him:

8 - Kento Momota has defeated Viktor Axelsen EIGHT TIMES, more than any other players. Outplayed. #EaaForIndonesia #BlibliIndonesiaOpen2018

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) July 8, 2018

The Dane will open his title defence against Portuguese player Duarte Nuno Anjo, who sits 129 places below him in the world rankings.

Viktor Axelsen was crowned 2017 men's badminton world champion Sunday after he defeated China's Lin Dan in straight games, clinching Denmark's first and only gold medal of the competition.

Japan's Nozomi Okuhara was crowned women's champion after she bested Indian contender P.V. Sindhu in a thrilling affair that took all three sets, as told by Badminton Talk:

Nozomi Okuhara vs PV Sindhu has broken a record of Women's Singles match in a rally-point era
110 minutes in World Championships Final 2017!

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) August 27, 2017

China struck double gold in the men's and women's doubles. Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan eased to a comfortable 21-10, 21-17 victory over Indonesian duo Mohammad Ahsan and Rian Agung Saputro.

Women's pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan beat Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota of Japan to add a second gold for China, and their overall tally of two golds, two silvers and three bronzes saw them finish atop the medal table.

Indonesia then claimed their first gold of this year's tournament at the very last opportunity, triumphing over China in the mixed doubles thanks to newly crowned champions Tontowi Ahmad and Lilyana Natsir.

Lin came into this year's championship seeking his sixth world crown but was denied at the final hurdle when Axelsen proved the superior first-place candidate on the day, winning in back-to-back games.

The Chinese contender had not lost a final in five trips to this fixture over a 12-year span, but Axelsen won the first game after pulling back the momentum midway through.

Lin held his Danish foe at arm's length for much of the opening exchanges but lost four successive points from 20-19 up, giving up his opportunity at game point and failing to come back into the match after that.

The second game was far easier for Axelsen, who trailed for all of two points before taking a 3-2 lead from which he never dropped back en route to a 21-16 win. Sponsors Yonex captured his moment of victory:

That moment you realise you are the new Men's Singles World Champion! Congrats @ViktorAxelsen #TeamYonex @2017BWC #2017BWC @BadmintonScot pic.twitter.com/E4CVLK9mzc

— Yonex Badminton UK (@yonexbadmtn_uk) August 27, 2017

Axelsen became the first European world champion since 1997, but Okuhara ensured Asia retained some grip in the singles, though that was already inevitable in that Indian's Sindhu was her opponent.

In a match that lasted one hour and 50 minutes, Japan's champion pulled through to win the first game 21-19 and the third game 22-20, and the Premier Badminton League testified to the tightness of the fixture:

Sheer determination and will power helps PV Sindhu win the 73 shots long rally to stay alive in the match. #2017BWC FINAL pic.twitter.com/h7M60QXd6V

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) August 27, 2017

Sindhu levelled with a 22-20 win of her own in the middle game, which was one of the more one-sided sections of a match that saw the players trade leads on 11 occasions across three games.

Great Britain representative Lauren Smith was witness to a match that will undoubtedly go down as one of, if not the best in the tournament:

That women's singles was an absolute grueler!! #BWC2017

— Lauren Smith (@LaurenE_Smith) August 27, 2017

Liu and Zhang led China's men's team to gold in Glasgow after a dominant performance against Indonesians Ahsan and Saputro, and they trailed just once across both games in a match that lasted only 37 minutes, per the tournament's official website.

The 2017 BWC Twitter account provided reaction from China's women's doubles duo Qingchen and Yifan, who defeated Japan in three games and let Fukushima and Hirota with silver:

REACTION: Jia Yifan reflects on #2017BWC gold, as her partner Chen Qingchen prepares for her second final of the day in XD! 😀🏸😀🏸😀 pic.twitter.com/dmTNbk8eLY

— 2017BWC (@2017BWC) August 27, 2017

Chen was soon back in order for the mixed doubles alongside Siwei Zheng, but they fell victim to a match-deciding third-game capitulation, losing to Ahmad and Natsir of Indonesia 21-15, 16-21, 21-15.

The 2017 Badminton World Championships will kick off on Monday, as the top players in the world vie for silverware in Glasgow, Scotland.

China once again enter the tournament as the favourites to dominate most categories, but after their upset loss at the hands of South Korea at the Sudirman Cup, the pressure will be on.

The tournament will run from Monday, August 21, until Sunday, August 27, at the Emirates Arena. The full schedule can be accessed by clicking here. BBC Sport will stream the tournament live, and the Badminton World Federation will also provide coverage via their official YouTube channel.

          

Preview

The road to the men's gold medal appears to be as open as it has been in years entering the tournament, with several top contenders.

Defending champion Chen Long has been hampered by injury and has yet to win a Super Series tournament, while Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei have each claimed one title. The two veterans are longtime rivals, but neither has been in great form of late.

Dan is regarded as the greatest badminton player in history, and he has a tendency to elevate his level of play in major tournaments. He'll have to deal with two emerging talents who appear set to dominate the sport for years to come, however.

Denmark's Viktor Axelsen won the Super Series tournament in India and has been in consistent form throughout the season, while India's Srikanth Kidambi is the man of the moment, with back-to-back Super Series wins entering the World Championships.

BadmintonWorldTV spoke to the 24-year-old, who explained how injury led to him playing the greatest badminton of his career:

Shi Yuqi will also be one to keep an eye on―the 21-year-old may lack experience in major tournaments but has the raw quality to cause an upset.

Tai Tzu-ying started the season by winning three of the first four women's Super Series events, but the 23-year-old has since cooled off significantly, opening the door for other contenders.

Carolina Marin is the defending champion and Olympic gold medallist, and while the Spanish star hasn't been in great form―her only major title this year came at the European Championships―she has been building towards the World Championships, sacrificing form elsewhere.

India's P.V. Sindhu will also be a contender, and the Japanese duo of Nozomi Okuhara and Sayaka Sato have split the last two Super Series events.

Indonesia have put up excellent results in the doubles competitions this year―particularly in the men's―but China remains the nation to beat in the team categories, claiming two gold medals and one silver in 2015.

South Korea shocked badminton giants China on Sunday in the final of the 2017 Sudirman Cup, ending the team's run of six straight titles with a 3-2 win.

China hadn't lost a single finals match since 2005 and ran out to a quick lead, but impressive showings in the last two doubles matches handed South Korea the title. It's the nation's fourth title, with the last one coming in 2003.

The defending champions appeared to be on their way to another title after a dominant showing in the men's doubles, with Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan easily handling Choi Sol-gyu and Seo Seung-jae in the opening match of the final.

But Korea tied things up rapidly in the women's singles, with Sung Ji-hyun needing little time to win the first set against He Bingjiao and finishing the job in the second. It was quite the upset, as the 25-year-old wasn't necessarily seen as a strong link in the team―losing the only rubber in the win over Chinese Taipei.

Badminton superstar Chen Long wasn't expected to suffer a similar upset against Jeon Hyeok-jin, and he put together a dominant outing, losing just 10 points in each set to regain the lead for his team.

But with their backs against the wall, South Korea delivered in the doubles. First, the female pair of Chang Ye-na and Lee So-hee―both doubles specialists―took a two-set win to even things up again before Sol-gyu and Chae Yoo-jung, one of the youngest duos in the entire tournament, took the mixed doubles to win the title.

The win was a testament to South Korea's rebuilding efforts, which were sorely needed after China emerged as an unstoppable force in the Sudirman Cup. Their six straight titles were obtained in dominant fashion, and the nation had the kind of run we'll likely never see again.

Japan pushed the Chinese closely in the semi-finals and Thailand have improved in the last two years as well―it seems more parity is in store for the future of the Sudirman Cup.

Defending champions China will meet South Korea in the final of the 2017 Sudirman Cup on Sunday after both teams won their semi-final matches at Gold Coast, Australia, on Saturday. South Korea beat Thailand 3-1, while China outlasted Japan 3-2 to keep their chances of retaining the title alive.

For a full breakdown of the results, go to the tournament's official website. The updated schedule can be found at SudirmanCup.com.au, while the current standings are available at Scoreboard.com.

     

Recap

South Korea's youthful squad made light work of Thailand during the first session. They pulled off three-straight wins after Thailand had made a victorious start thanks to Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, who won in the mixed doubles.

However, Son Wan Ho got the comeback bid started by beating Suppanyu Avihingsanon in the men's singles.

World No. 1 Son made hard work of his match, per SurdimanCup.com.au: "It took 80 minutes, almost twice the length of any other, to defeat World No. 62 Suppanyu Avihingsanon 18-21, 21-10, 21-17. The taller Thai was solid in all departments. Son had to execute winners in order to catch up and beat Avihingsanon."

The overall win was sealed for South Korea when Sung Ji Hyun overcame Ratchanok Intanon 21-13, 21-17 in the fourth match.

Sung won 42 rallies during the match, according to the tournament's official website. The 25-year-old's heroics have put the three-time champions back in another final.

As for China, their match with Japan followed a similar pattern as the defending champions lost the mixed doubles to give their opponents an early lead. However, China turned to Lin Dan to even things up, as he got the better of Kenta Nishimoto, 21-19, 21-16.

Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen then beat Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda in the men's doubles as China seized control. Junhui and Yuchen were superb in a tight contest, taking both games 23-21 and 21-16.

It was left to Sun Yu to seal China's place in the final, but Akane Yamaguchi had other ideas. She beat Sun in straight games, 21-17 and 21-15, to keep Japan's hopes alive.

However, those hopes were finally dashed when Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan bested Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi in the women's doubles.

China will now look to maintain its dominance in badminton by winning what should be an exciting final against South Korea.  

China and Japan will face off in the semi-final of the 2017 Sudirman Cup after progressing through the quarter-finals on Friday—marking a rematch of the tournament's 2015 final.

China beat India 3-0, while Japan overcame Malaysia 3-1. In Group 2, Vietnam and New Zealand beat Singapore and Austria, respectively, 3-1, while Australia came from 2-1 down to beat Canada 3-2 and Scotland eased to a 3-0 victory over the USA.

Full results can be found at the tournament's official website, while the updated schedule can be found at SudirmanCup.com.au. Scoreboard.com provided the latest Group 1 standings.

    

Friday Recap

Defending champions China entered the match as favourites and showed their class against India, but their opponents were able to cause them some problems in the mixed doubles through impressive pairing Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa.

They won the first game against world No. 2 partnership Lu Kai and Huang Yaqiong before ultimately losing 16-21, 21-13, 21-16 in over an hour.

Srikanth Kidambi was unable to take a game off Chen Long but put in a valiant effort nonetheless in the men's singles, before China finished the job in the men's doubles as Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan swept past Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty 21-9, 21-11 in under half an hour.

The Badminton Association of India were pleased with their progression in the tournament despite their exit:

Lot of positives for India at #SudirmanCup2017. Qualified in the knockouts after 6 years and posed a threat to every opposition.

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) May 26, 2017

Per Dev Sukumar for the Sudirman Cup's official website, Chen praised Kidambi and called for a strong showing against Japan:

"My opponent was very good, and he strongly challenged me in the second game. We have to be our best tomorrow. The Japanese Men’s Singles players are quite young and have already got the opportunity to play at this level, so we have to be cautious. More than the pressure from outside, I will be putting pressure on myself to perform well."

Japan ensured they would meet China in a repeat of the 2015 final with a fairly comfortable win over Japan, the highlights of which can be seen here:

Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda got them off to a winning start in close contest in the men's doubles, eventually wearing down Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong 21-17, 16-21, 21-11 with their superior intensity and endurance.

Lee Chong Wei offered Malaysia a brief respite after Nozomi Okuhara beat Soniia Cheah in the women's singles, but Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi made short work of Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei in the women's doubles to seal the victory.

South Korea and Thailand will face off in the other semi-final on Saturday.

South Korea and Thailand became the first two teams to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2017 Sudirman Cup on Thursday after they defeated respective quarter-final opponents Chinese Taipei and Denmark.

The Koreans were unrelenting in their crusade against Chinese Taipei and required only four matches to seal the scoreline they needed to advance and set up a semi-final clash against the Thai contenders.

That all-Asian affair will play out after the last remaining European representative, Denmark, fell 3-2 to Thailand despite their best efforts to revive in a mid-match comeback.

Sapsiree Taerattanachai was the star of the show for Thailand and bookended their quarter-final triumph with wins in the mixed and women's doubles, losing no games and adding four victories to her tournament record.

Date	Quarter-Final Fixtures
Friday, May 26	China vs. India
Friday, May 26	Japan vs. Malaysia

      

Full results can be found at the tournament's official website, while the latest schedule can be found at SudirmanCup.com.au. 

Scoreboard.com provided a look at the updated quarter-final bracket.

Thursday Recap

Thailand and Denmark engaged in one of the finest contests seen at this year's Sudirman Cup on Thursday, and it was thanks to Taerattanachai & Co. that the former were able to edge their foes three games to two.

Taerattanachai teamed up alongside Dechapol Puavaranukroh in the mixed doubles to down their Danish counterparts 21-19, 21-19, but Viktor Axelsen hit back with a convincing 21-15, 21-6 win in the men's singles.

Denmark then tilted the power balance in their favour after booking a 15-21, 21-18, 21-16 comeback win in the men's doubles, but Ratchanok Intanon's triumph over Line Kjaersfeldt tied the scores at two wins apiece.

Fortunately for Thailand, Taerattanachai had the stamina to see out another 100 per cent result in the mixed doubles, winning 21-15, 21-12 and seeing her country to a landmark place in the last four, per Badminton Talk:

2 - Thailand has reached Sudirman Cup Semifinal for the second time ever (after 2013). Rexy.

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) May 25, 2017

South Korea were arguably the biggest winners of all on Thursday and advanced to the semi-finals of the Gold Coast, Australia, competition in swift fashion, storing their energy thanks to a 3-1 thrashing of Chinese Taipei.

Tzu Ying Tai managed to pull a match point back for Chinese Taipei and edged Ji Hyun Sung 21-16, 26-24, but it proved the nation's only point of the fixture as they suffered a swift quarter-final exit.

Son Wan Ho was next in action for South Korea, and he proceeded to thunder back from a 13-21 loss in his opener against Tien Chen Chou before nudging his way closer to qualification, per Premier Badminton League:

Son Wan Ho celebrates reaching the World No. 1 ranking by winning a 3-game thriller against Chou Tien Chen. #SudirmanCup2017

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) May 25, 2017

South Korea's other stars built on Son's performance and finished off a 3-1 win to seal the result in routine fashion, albeit not coming without its share of slight scares.

Their reward for victory is a semi-final berth opposite fellow qualifiers Thailand, who are hoping to reach the Sudirman Cup final for the first time in their history, while South Korea chase a fourth overall title.  

China secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the 2017 Sudirman Cup in Gold Coast, Australia, as they made it two wins from two in Group 1A with a 5-0 thrashing of fellow quarter-finalists Thailand on Wednesday. 

Chinese Taipei also secured their second victory of the tournament so far to top group 1B after a thrilling encounter against Korea—who also progressed—in which they prevailed 3-2.

They'll be joined by Malaysia, who qualified after coming second in Group 1C despite losing 3-2 to Japan, and Indonesia's 3-2 win over Denmark wasn't enough to stop the Europeans advancing alongside second-placed India.  

Full results can be found at the tournament's official website, while the latest schedule can be found at SudirmanCup.com.au. Scoreboard.com provided the updated Group 1 standings.

         

Wednesday Recap

Chinese Taipei's clash with Korea was the encounter of the day.

After Chinese Tapei took the men's doubles and women's singles, Korea levelled proceedings with victories in the men's singles and women's doubles.

It all came down to the mixed doubles match to split the two teams.

And the duo of Wang Chi-Lin and Lee Chia Hsin prevailed 11-21, 21-18, 21-16 against Choi Solgyu and Chae Yoo Jung.

Wang Chi-Lin, who won both the doubles matches he played in on Wednesday and played a huge role in Chinese Taipei claiming the victory, explained how his side gained the edge, per the tournament's official website: 

"I’m happy that I could contribute two points to the team. In the first game we were attacking all the time and used a lot of power, but the Koreans are good at that kind of game. So from the second, we tried to play more tactically and used some variations, which worked out well."

China were absolutely ruthless as they whitewashed Thailand without dropping a game to prove their credentials as the best team in the world.

Thailand have still qualified for the knockout rounds in second place in their group, but they will need to bounce back fast after their humbling at China's hands. 

Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen got the ball rolling with a 21-11, 21-19 victory over Kedren Kittinupong and Dechapol Puavaranukroh in the men's doubles.

Chen Yufei then took 38 minutes to see off Pornpawee Chochuwong in the women's singles before Chen Long was barely troubled by Khosit Phetpradab in the men's singles.

Further victories for China of 23-21, 21-18 in the women's doubles and 21-8, 21-11 in the mixed then completed the rout, and they will take huge confidence into the last eight.   

Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl had the honour of sealing Indonesia's exit from the 2017 Sudirman Cup after they clinched the vital second game needed for Denmark to prevent being knocked out themselves.

Matthias Boe and Carsten Mogensen snatched a crucial victory for the Danes in the men's doubles and bounced back from a 16-21 defeat in the first game to beat Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 24-22, 23-21 in the second and third games.

With each of the teams in Group 1D tied on one point apiece, Indonesia fell out at the group phase by virtue of a deadlock, with Denmark boasting the superior win-loss match ratio and India having the second-best.

Per Badminton Talk, this ended a rampaging run of form for the departing team:

0 - Indonesia has failed to advance from Sudirman Cup group stage for the first time ever in history. Sejarah.

— Badminton Talk (@BadmintonTalk) May 24, 2017

Meanwhile, Japan maintained a 100 per cent record in Group 1C thanks to their 3-2 victory over Malaysia, who triumphed in the men's singles and mixed doubles, although it wasn't enough to keep their run alive.

Akane Yamaguchi booked a convincing 21-6, 21-17 win over Malaysian Jin Wei Goh in the women's singles, while Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi's 21-17, 21-18 triumph in the women's doubles aided in completing a steady win.