Horsens, May 1: Former champions India have clinched a spot in the semifinals of the Thomas and Uber Cup 2026 by establishing an unbeatable 3-0 lead against Chinese Taipei. This marks India’s second semifinal appearance in the Thomas Cup, following their historic run in 2022 after 43 years. Previously, the Indian men’s team reached the semifinals in 1952, 1955, and 1979.
India finished second in their group, just behind China. On Friday, in Horsens, Denmark, India took the lead with a victory from Lakshya Sen. He triumphed over Chou Tien-Chen with scores of 18-21, 22-20, and 21-17, completing the match in 88 minutes after recovering from a first-game loss.
In men’s doubles, the former world number one pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin. They won the match in three games, finishing with scores of 23-21, 19-21, and 21-12.
Ayush Shetty then secured the third point for India by defeating Lin Chun-Yi in straight games, winning 21-16 and 21-17. India will face the winner of the match between France and Japan in the semifinals on Saturday, with the tournament concluding with the final match the following day.
Lakshya Sen’s impressive comeback against Chou Tien-Chen gave India a crucial advantage in the knockout stage of the Thomas Cup. At one point, it seemed the match might slip away from him, as he faced three match points in the second game. However, he maintained his composure, saving all three match points and pushing the contest to a decisive game.
In the third game, the momentum shifted entirely. Sen outmaneuvered Chen, taking an early lead that left the Taiwanese star struggling to keep pace. Although Chen attempted to narrow the scoring gap, Sen ultimately secured the match, solidifying India’s victory.
In the doubles match, Rankireddy and Shetty made a remarkable comeback after trailing 18-20, winning the first game 23-21. The second game was tightly contested, with both pairs tied at 8-8. The Indian duo looked poised to finish the match with a 14-11 lead, but the Taiwanese pair fought back to win the second game, forcing a decisive third game.
In the final game, the Indian pair dominated from the start, establishing a 9-3 lead. They maintained a six-point advantage at the break and extended their lead to 13-6 and then 15-7, ultimately winning the match and giving India a 2-0 lead.
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