Five players/pairs who underperformed at Thomas and Uber Cup 2024

These players were expected of big things in competition but failed to deliver.

The Thomas and Uber Cup 2024 concluded on May 5th, with China asserting its badminton supremacy once again. In the Thomas Cup final, the formidable Chinese contingent defeated Indonesia 3-1 to clinch their 11th title in the premier men’s team event.

Chinese women too lived up to their billing as favourites to capture the Uber Cup with a dominant performance. The Chinese juggernaut rolled on relentlessly, brushing aside all challengers en route to their 16th Uber Cup crown as well.

Some players and teams have surprised everyone with their performance while some players whom the fans had huge expectations of were disappointed and couldn’t deliver for the team when in need.

Shuttlers/pairs that underperformed at Thomas and Uber Cup 2024

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty

The Indian duo had huge expectations to deliver but they failed to perform up to their potential. They Played four matches, winning two of them and losing two. Even the two matches that they won were not convincing.

Satwik-Chirag were pushed to the decider by Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul of Thailand and Ben Lane/Sean Vendy of England. Both the opponents were out of the top 15 in the rankings. Then they lost to the Indonesian pair of Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana in a thriller (22-24, 24-22, 19-21). They saved 12 match points, but it wasn’t enough.

In the QFs, the Indian pair faced WR #1 Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang against whom also they lost (15-21, 21-11, 12-21). Their losses in both matches cost the team, a medal at the Thomas Cup.

Viktor Axelsen

The Olympic Champion and the World No #1 lost just one match in the Thomas Cup but was not in the best of form and struggled throughout the tournament.

He played four matches, winning three of them and losing one. However, he didn’t play to his potential. In the opening match, he almost lost to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu and just managed an escape. He won the match 21-14, 18-21, 21-19. In the QF matchup, he lost to Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei (19-21, 21-14, 19-21). This loss ultimately cost Denmark the tie and a medal too at the Thomas Cup.

Viktor, however, informed his fans on X (formerly Twitter) that he is battling an Injury since the 2023 Sudirman Cup and isn’t fully fit yet.

Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang

The World No. #1 pair was playing in front of their home crowd also disappointed this time. They played six matches so far winning four and losing two. Liang/Wang lost to the World Champions Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae of Korea (16-21 21-15, 16-21) in the group stage and Aron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia (21-15, 12-21, 17-21) in the Semifinal. However, China won both the fixtures and their result didn’t impact the overall result.

Supanida Katethong

The Thai World No. #16 won three matches and lost one in the Uber Cup. However, that loss was huge as it cost the Thailand women’s team a medal in the Uber Cup. The opponents she faced in the group stages were not even in the top #30, while two were out of the top #50 in the BWF rankings.

In the Uber Cup quarterfinals, Supanida lost to the young prodigy of Indonesia, Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo, (19-21, 21-19, 21-19) in a thriller.

She was a game and 18-17 up but failed to deliver from a winnable position. Even though Thailand was 0-2 down in the quarterfinals, they were favourites to win the next three matches and that would have been possible had Supanida defeated her WR #38 opponent.

Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida

Many might find the inclusion of this WR #4 Japanese women’s doubles pair surprising, but they carried significant expectations into the Uber Cup. Matsuyama/Shida competed in four matches, succumbing to defeat in just one. However, their performance wavered in two of their victories.

In their second match, they dropped a game to Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam, prevailing with scores of 11-21, 21-16, 21-11, yet they fell short of showcasing their true capabilities. Similarly, in the third round, they conceded a game to the provisional duo of Lanny Tria Mayasari and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.

In the semifinals, they were defeated by the World No. #1 Chinese pair Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan with scores of 21-14, 13-21, 21-23. Holding an 18-12 lead in the deciding game, the stakes were high as Japan was already trailing 0-1 in the tie. Despite earning two match points, they were unable to capitalize on them.

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