Denmark rallied from two matches down to beat Malaysia 3-2 and reach their first Thomas Cup badminton final in 10 years on Friday.
The Danes, an eight-time runner-up, will play Indonesia in today’s final. The Danes have lost four previous finals to Indonesia, which will be trying for a record-extending 14th championship.
The Indonesians beat South Korea 3-1.
China and South Korea will contest their third Uber Cup women’s final in the last four editions.
China looked at the prospect of a 14th Uber Cup title after sweeping aside India 3-0, while South Korea passed Japan 3-1.
In the most dramatic tie of the day, Denmark clinched a Thomas Cup final berth when Emil Holst defeated Chong Weifeng 21-15, 21-18.
Malaysia went 2-0 up on wins by second-ranked Lee Chong-wei and doubles pair Goh V. Shem and Tan Wee-kiong.
Then Hans-Kristian Vittinghus and the pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Ska Rasmusse leveled the score. Holst won the decider in 50 minutes.
Indonesia lost the opening rubber to the South Koreans, who upset China in the quarter-finals, but did not drop another game.
Indonesia, which won the last of its 13 titles in 2002, won both doubles and Anthony Si Ginting defeated Lee Dong-keun 21-18, 21-18.
In the Uber Cup, China’s Olympic champion Li Xuerui was stretched to three games by Saina Nehwal, but the titleholder kept it tight to not lose another game.
Li’s 21-17, 12-21, 21-15 win in just over an hour was her eighth successive victory over Nehwal.
Wang Shixian defeated PV Sindhu 23-21, 21-13, and the experienced doubles pair of Tian Qing and Zhao Yunki walloped Jwala Gutta and Sikki Reddy 21-6, 21-6 to complete the scoreline.
In the other semi-final, South Korea’s Sung Ji-hyun defeated Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21-13, 21-13 in the opening singles, and the team won both doubles. Bae Yeon-ju retired against Akane Yamaguchi to give Japan their only win.
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