JAPAN WINS and Malaysia lost. Japan WINS the Thomas Cup for the first time in New Dehli today with a 3 - 2 win against Malaysia.
Malaysia's dream of ending its 22-year Thomas Cup drought has been shattered following a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Japan after a gripping battle in the deciding third singles.
Playing in their first ever Thomas Cup final, Japanese shuttlers romped home victorious after winning the first doubles, second singles and finally, the third singles matches.
There was a glimmer of hope when second doubles pair Goh V Shem andTan Wee Kiong tied the contest at 2-2 after beating Keigo Sonoda and Takeshi Kamura in a nail-bitting three setter, 19-21, 21-17 and 21-12.
However, in the third singles, Malaysia's Liew Darren was defeated by Takuma Ueda, 12-21, 21-18 and 17-21.
Malaysia got off on the right track when world number one Lee Chong Wei defeated Japanese top seed Kenichi Tago 21-12 and 21-16.Following this, Malaysian pair Tan Boon Heong and Hoon Thien How lost to Kenichi Hayakama and Hiroyuki Endo in a three-set duel.
Tan and Hoon took the first set 21-12 but lost the second 17-21. They were then defeated in the rubber set 19-21.
In the second singles, Chong Wei Fern fell to Japanese youngster and former world junior champion, Kento Momota 15-21 and 17-21.
Malaysia last reached the final in 2002 in Guangzhou, China but lost 2-3 to Indonesia. It has not won the cup for 22 years since Malaysia defeated Indonesia 3-2 in Kuala Lumpur in 1991.
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