There will be no French team in the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, the men’s and women’s world team championships which will end on Sunday in Aarhus (Denmark).
Monday morning, the Blue were ousted from the competition after their second defeat in two group matches. Beaten 5-0 on Saturday by defending champion Japan, they fell again against Indonesia (1-4).
During the night, the French suffered the same fate. After their 5-0 loss two days earlier to Denmark, they lost 4-1 to eight-time world medalists South Korea.
Le Mulhousien Arnaud Merklé, 93e , who could not do anything against the Danish European champion and No. 3 planetary Anders Antonsen (11-21, 7-21), yet equalized at 1 everywhere by disposing in singles from South Korean Kim DongHun, 115e (21-12, 21-11). But Strasbourg’s William Villeger and Alex Lanier then bowed sharply.
Villeger and his partner Fabien Delrue, 84it is , were smothered in doubles by Kim WonHo and Kang Minhyuk, 132it is (8-21, 8-21). Then Lanier (16 years old), 192e , could not dispute the superiority of Jeon Hyeok Jin (12-21, 9-21). The Blues will therefore not see the quarters they had reached in 2014 and 2018. But before returning home, they will compete for the honor of their 3e and last match this Wednesday (7 p.m.) against Germany, also eliminated after its failures against the South Koreans (1-4) and the Danes (2-3).
French women save honor
This closing match, the French played on Tuesday, also in front of Germany. As three years ago for their baptism in the Uber Cup, they did not come out of the hens. But unlike 2018 when they were punished 5-0 by China, Malaysia and Indonesia, they saved the honor by checking out the German 2012 European champions and double vice-defending European champions (3 -2).
Mulhousienne Margot Lambert and her partner Anne Tran, partners since July only, offered them a 2e precious point against Linda Efler and Isabel Lohau, 30it is (21-14, 14-21, 21-8).
