Kidambi Srikanth (Image credit: BAI)
France is on its way to the Thomas Cup. After eliminating 14-time world champions Indonesia in the group stage, France beat 2022 champions India 3-0, winning all three singles matches.Christo Popov beat Aayush Shetty 21-11, 21-9 to give France the early lead. Alex Lanier also registered a straight win, beating Kidambi Srikanth 21-18, 21-16 to make it 2-0 for France. In the do-or-die contest for India, HS Prannoy started before losing ground to Toma Junior Popov and lost 19-21, 16-21.In the other semi-final match, China won its first two matches over Denmark.Popov was at his best against Ayush throughout the 39-minute match. The World Tour Finals champion controlled the net, targeting Ayouch’s back corner with repeated strikes and controlling the pace of the match.Ayush, who turns 21 on Sunday, admitted that Christo was very good. “I’m disappointed with my performance today.
Ayouch said: “Christo was strong today… His speed was high and he pressured me a lot. He was using a lot of deception. That surprised me.” Ayouch added: “I was not stable on the court… He outplayed me today.”India were dealt a blow long before the start of the competition as Lakshya Sen was ruled out of the semi-finals due to swelling in his right elbow, which he sustained while diving in the three-match quarter-final on Friday.“Lakshya suffered an elbow injury after an intense quarter-final match that included several dives. After a thorough assessment by the team’s medical staff, the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to allow Lakshya adequate time to recover and ensure that he is in optimal condition for the final, should India qualify,” Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the Indian Football Association, said in a statement.Korea faces China in the Uber finalMeanwhile, South Korea will face China in the Uber Cup finals. In the semi-finals, South Korea beat Indonesia 3-1, and China beat Japan 3-0.