China edge into Thomas Cup final

China edge into Thomas Cup final

Top seed China, hoping to retain the Thomas Cup trophy for the seventh time, have advanced to the final at the Bung Karno Sports Hall after edging out Malaysia 3-2 on Friday.

China had a tough start, with world No 1 Lin Dan dropping the opener against Lee Chong Wei 21-12, 21-14 in the singles. After the shaky start, Chinese pair Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng staged a dominant performance, beating Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong to bring China on level terms.

Bao Chunlai, ranked No. 3 in the world, beat Wong Choong Hann in straight sets to give China a 2-1 lead.

Meanwhile, China's second pairing of Xie Zhongbo and Guo Zhendong lost to their Malaysian rivals, allowing Malaysia to pull the game level to 2-all.

In the decider, China's third singles player Chen Jin swept past Malaysian shuttler Muhammad Hafiz Hashim 21-12, 21-16 to give China a 3-2 victory.