The draws were decided late Tuesday at the Putra Stadium in Malaysia.

“Our [men’s and women’s] teams were not seriously tested in the group stage because — and no disrespect to anyone —  Australia is not our equal,” said Indonesian head coach Christian Hadinata on Tuesday.

“The shuttlers must adapt more quickly to the court’s condition and evaluate their errors. It’s knockout now starting with the quarterfinals on Wednesday, so it’ll be much tougher than in the group stage. We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes,” Christian said.

In the men’s sector, China and South Korea finished first and second in Group A after China whitewashed Peru 5-0 and outplayed South Korea 4-1 earlier Tuesday.

In Group B, Malaysia and Japan advanced to the quarterfinals. On Tuesday, Malaysian Mohd Hafiz Hashim surrendered in a grueling encounter with Japan’s Sato Shoji, leaving the hosts second to Japan in the group.

In Group C, Denmark and Germany advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Poland. Denmark topped the group after doubles pair Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen beat Germans Ingo Kinderwater and Johannes Schoettler in the fourth match of their tie.

Denmark had been regarded an underdog in the biennial event, despite its impressive achievement of qualifying for the Thomas Cup eight times. The Danish female team has made it to the Uber Cup finals three times, most recently before this year in 2000.

Group D champions Indonesia and runner-up India left Australia at the bottom of the group.

In the women’s competition, China and hosts Malaysia secured their places in the quarterfinals after beating the United States in Group A, where China predictably finished top. World number two women’s singles player Wang Xin ensured China finished top of its group with a convincing victory over Malaysian Jing Yee Tee 21-12, 21-5 in the third match of the China-Malaysia tie Tuesday.

In Group B, champions Indonesia and runner-up team Denmark advanced to the quarters, leaving Australia at the bottom of the group.

Japan topped Group C, with Russia second.

In Group D, South Korea and India crushed South Africa to both qualify for the quarterfinals. Korean doubles pair Lee Kyung Woon and Ha Jung Eun beat Shruti Kurian and Aparna Balan in the fourth match, leaving their team top of its group.

In the last Thomas Cup, which was held two years ago in Jakarta, Indonesia bowed out in the quarterfinals. The championship went to badminton juggernaut China, which saw off South Korea 3-1 in the final.

Meanwhile, the women’s team achieved a slightly better result, finishing runner up after suffering a 0-3 defeat to China in the final.

The last time the Indonesian team brought home the Thomas Cup was in 2002, when Indonesia edged out Malaysia 3-2 in Guangzhou, China. The women’s team last grabbed the Uber Cup in Hong Kong in 1996.

Popular

Solving the development crisis with quality finance

Malaysia says China ready to sign SEA nuclear weapons-free treaty

Uncertainty looms over northern Bali airport project