Xiamen, April 29 – In today’s Sudirman Cup Group D second-round action, badminton powerhouses Indonesia and Denmark secured their places in the quarterfinals after recording consecutive victories.
Denmark, fresh off a 4-1 opening win over India, followed up with a commanding 5-0 sweep over England in their all-European clash. The third-seeded team has now guaranteed a top-eight finish.
The Danes kicked things off with a confident win in the mixed doubles, as European champions Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund defeated Callum Hemming and Estelle van Leeuwen 21-17, 21-10. In men’s singles, 23-year-old Magnus Johannesen, stepping in for top seed Anders Antonsen, delivered a clinical 21-13, 21-11 win over Harry Huang.
Women’s singles followed with Line Kjærsfeldt dominating Miu Lin Ngan 21-8, 21-13 to clinch the tie. Denmark’s top-ranked men’s pair Kim Astrup/Anders Rasmussen and women’s duo Alexandra Bøje/Line Christophersen completed the clean sweep, sealing a 5-0 shutout.
Denmark and Indonesia Set for Group D Showdown
Indonesia, who routed England 5-0 in their opener, were tested by India but rallied from behind to win 4-1. India, weakened by key player absences, started strong with Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto edging Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja in three sets 10-21, 21-18, 21-19 to claim the opening point.
India’s lead was short-lived, however, as Indonesia responded in the women’s singles with Putri Kusuma Wardani beating P. V. Sindhu in straight games 21-12, 21-13. The tie’s momentum swung further with Jonatan Christie overcoming veteran H. S. Prannoy in a thrilling 19-21, 21-14, 21-12 comeback victory.
Jonatan admitted post-match that he had been preparing for Lakshya Sen, only to be surprised with Prannoy’s name on the lineup. “We had planned strategy sessions for Lakshya, but when I woke up and saw the change, I knew it would be a tougher physical match,” said the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist.
In the final two matches, Indonesian women’s pair Lanny Tria Mayasari/Siti Fadia Ramadhanti eased past their Indian opponents, before Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Daniel Marthin wrapped up the 4-1 victory with a 22-20, 21-18 straight-set win in men’s doubles.
The highly anticipated Group D decider between Denmark and Indonesia will take place this Thursday, with the group’s top spot on the line.
