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The Star
30-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Jonatan and Co hope to standout in mouth-watering clash against Denmark
Powers on: Indonesia's Jonatan Christie hits a return against India's H.S. Prannoy during their men's singles match at the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China. - AFP PETALING JAYA: Indonesia and Denmark are set for a thrilling showdown on Thursday (May 1) to determine the winners in this year's group of death clash at the Sudirman Cup. This clash mirrors the 2021 edition in Vantaa, Finland, where both teams also competed for top spot in their group. Indonesia edged Denmark 3-2 then, and they'll be hoping for a repeat performance this time around. The Indonesians are riding high after a convincing 4-1 victory over India, one of the tournament's favourites, in their Group D tie on Wednesday. The standout performer was Putri Kusuma, who pulled off a stunning upset over 2019 world champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist P. V. Sindhu, winning 21-12, 21-13 in just 38 minutes. "I couldn't believe it myself. Of course, I was nervous before the match, but there was so much support behind me. I just wanted to enjoy the moment because I had nothing to lose," said Putri. "I wanted to prove something to myself. I had lost to Sindhu in our previous encounters, so this wasn't just about winning; I wanted to show that women's singles can deliver vital points for Indonesia." Indonesia's remaining points came from men's singles ace Jonatan Christie, the women's doubles pair of Lanny Tria-Siti Fadia, and the men's doubles duo of Shohibul Fikri-Daniel Marthin. This result has only fuelled Indonesia's hunger, especially after returning empty-handed from the last two editions, despite being the inaugural champions in 1989 and six-time runners-up. "Of course, I want Indonesia to reach the quarter-finals first, and then go as far as possible in the tournament," said Jonatan. "I've had many bitter memories at the Sudirman Cup. The past still lingers in my mind, and it's been a strong motivation for me to avoid repeating those mistakes this time. I'm really happy that I was finally able to contribute a point to the team." European champions Denmark had no trouble sweeping aside England 5-0, despite the absence of reigning world and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, who was sidelined by injury. Head coach Thomas Stavngaard faces a tougher task, as the European side have endured a medal drought in the tournament for more than a decade, with their last podium finish being a bronze in 2013 in Kuala Lumpur.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Sudirman Cup 2025: India faces uphill task against Indonesia in battle for survival
Faced with a herculean task to trump a formidable Indonesia and stay afloat in the competition, an under-strength India will need its struggling singles stars to deliver the goods in a must-win Group D contest at the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals here on Tuesday. India's campaign began on a disastrous start on Sunday with a 1-4 defeat to Denmark, a result that put its qualification for the knockout stage in serious jeopardy. With only two teams progressing from Group D, India must secure a win against Indonesia to keep its hopes alive; otherwise, its third and final group match against England will be reduced to just a formality. The poor form of its star singles players — Lakshya Sen, H. S. Prannoy, and P. V. Sindhu has not helped the team. However, there is some hope for India. Lakshya has defeated Indonesia's top men's singles player Jonatan Christie in their last two encounters — at the Paris Olympics and the All England Championships. In the women's singles, with Indonesia's top player Gregoria Mariska Tunjung pulling out, Sindhu will face world No. 11 Putri Kusuma Wardani, a player she has beaten twice before. Despite this, Indonesia boasts a strong contingent of doubles players, including Fajar Alfian, Muhammad Rian Ardianto, Leo Rolly Carnando, Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, and Daniel Marthin — all ranked among the world's top 10. ALSO READ | Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul elected as new BWF President With India's top men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty absent, the inexperienced pairing of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi will face a tough contest. In the women's doubles, Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi are ranked world No. 8, and without Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra will be hoping to build on their encouraging performance against Denmark, which was the lone bright spot for India in the opening match. In the mixed doubles, India's Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha will face the challenge of overcoming world No. 21 Rinov Rivaldy and Pitha Haningtyas Mentari of Indonesia. Back in February, India had suffered a setback at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship, where it was eliminated in the quarterfinal in Qingdao, despite fielding a strong squad and it would like to avoid a league stage exit here. India's best-ever performance at the Sudirman Cup has been two quarterfinal finishes: in 2011 and 2017. While India has made significant progress in recent years, highlighted by the historic Thomas Cup win in 2022 and the Badminton Asia Women's Team Championships title in 2024, the absence of key doubles pairs has dampened their prospects in the ongoing Sudirman Cup.
