France continued their impressive run at the Thomas Cup, eliminating defending champions India 3-0 in the semifinals after sweeping all three singles matches. Following their victory over 14-time champions Indonesia in the group stage, the French team proved too strong for the 2022 title winners.
Christo Popov gave France an early lead by dominating Ayush Shetty 21-11, 21-9 in the opening singles. Alex Lanier then extended the advantage with a straight-game win over Kidambi Srikanth, 21-18, 21-16. In a must-win match for India, HS Prannoy started strongly but faded against Toma Junior Popov, losing 19-21, 16-21.
Popov’s performance was commanding throughout the 39-minute contest against Ayush, as the reigning World Tour Finals champion controlled the net and targeted the backhand corner with powerful smashes, dictating the pace. Ayush, who turns 21 on Sunday, acknowledged Christo’s superiority: “I am disappointed with my performance. Christo was solid today. His pace was high and he put a lot of pressure on me. He used plenty of deception, which caught me off guard. I wasn’t stable on the court. He just outclassed me.”
India faced a setback before the match even began as Lakshya Sen was ruled out due to a swollen right elbow, sustained during a diving effort in the quarterfinals on Friday. BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra stated, “Lakshya sustained an impact to his elbow following an intense quarterfinal match that involved multiple dives. After a thorough evaluation by the team’s medical staff, the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to allow adequate recovery time and ensure he is in optimal condition for the final, should India progress.”
In the other semifinal, China took a 2-0 lead against Denmark. Meanwhile, South Korea will face China in the Uber Cup final after defeating Indonesia 3-1 in the semis, while China blanked Japan 3-0.
