Thomas and Uber Cup 2024: Japan cruises past young Indian squad in Uber Cup quarterfinals

Experienced Japanese team downs promising Indian upstarts despite Chaliha’s heroics.

The young Indian women’s team, showed enough promise and prowess for the future as they finished their campaign against the former champions, Japan 0-3 despite a splendid effort by the singles players at the Thomas and Uber Cup 2024 campaign in Chengdu, China, at the quarterfinal stage on Thursday.

In the absence of all the experienced campaigners, yet making it to the last eight stage with two convincing wins over Canada and Singapore is a huge shot in the arm for this young girls contingent.

In the opening singles, Ashmita Chaliha saved a match point against World no. 11 Aya Ohori and led 11-9 at the interval in the decider. But Ohori used all her experience to raise the tempo immediately after to take five straight points and then went on to wrap the match 21-10, 22-24, 21-15 in an hour and seven minutes.

Speaking about her performance Ashmita said, “I had lost to her pretty badly in Syed Modi international and I came into the match with a mindset that I have to play my best… In the third game, so made some silly errors after 11-9 and that cost me the match.”

The world no. 4 combination of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida then doubled Japan’s lead with a 21-8, 21-9 victory over national champions Priya and Shruti Mishra.

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Isharani Baruah then gave a good account of her abilities as she kept pace with former world champion Nozomi Okuhara and even lead 14-11 in the opening game before the experienced Japanese turned the tables by winning 10 of the next 11 points.

The second game went identical to the first as both players stayed neck and neck till 9-9 before Okuhara marched ahead for a 21-15, 21-12 win to seal the quarterfinals in Japan’s favour.

The Indian men’s team, which is defending their Thomas Cup title, will face hosts China in their quarterfinal clash later in the day.

Result: India lost to Japan 0-3 (Ashmita Chaliha lost to Aya Ohori 10-21, 22-20, 15-21; Priya Konjengbam/Shruti Mishra lost to Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida 8-21, 9-21; Isharani Baruah lost to Nozomi Okuhara 15-21, 12-21)

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