Defending champions China overcame a strong challenge from France to secure a 3-1 victory and reclaim the Thomas Cup title, badminton's most prestigious men's tournament.

Sunday's victory marked the 12th time China has lifted the trophy since 1982, while France achieved its best-ever result in the tournament.

World champion Shi Yuqi gave China an early lead, edging Christo Popov 21-16, 16-21, 21-17 in an 85-minute battle.

Shi said he had to recover from early deficits in all three games and remained focused on adjusting his tactics.

"I was behind in all three games and tried to calm myself down to find the right way to play my opponent," said Shi, who missed the last two group matches due to acute gastroenteritis.

"I kept telling myself to stay clear-minded, patient and consistent under my current physical condition."

Popov, ranked World No. 4, admitted he missed his chances late on.

"Shi was very sharp and solid at the end, and I made a few mistakes. I feel like I just missed the opportunity," said the 24-year-old.

"The first match is always very important for confidence and for the team."

World No. 10 Alex Lanier leveled the tie at 1-1 by defeating Li Shifeng 21-13, 21-10 in 43 minutes.

"I was extremely consistent today, and that made the difference, especially by limiting mistakes and sticking to the right game plan," said Lanier, 21.

"I woke up with strong motivation this morning and the desire to give everything for the team. I felt confident on court and played one of my best matches."

"I tried to be patient but made too many mistakes. I felt sorry that I couldn't secure the second point for my team," Li said.

In a 96-minute third-match battle, World No. 15 Weng Hongyang edged Toma Junior Popov 22-20, 20-22, 21-19 to put China 2-1 ahead.

"Before the match, I knew it would be very tough. The opponents came through strong matches all the way to the final, so I just tried to prepare myself for a difficult battle," said Weng, 26.

"This match could be one of the longest I have ever played. It was very valuable for me mentally. Whether I was leading or trailing, there were a lot of long, tight rallies. When I was leading, I made quite a few mistakes, but when I was behind, I actually felt a bit more relaxed," he added.

He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu then sealed the victory by defeating Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi 21-13, 21-16 in the doubles, securing the decisive point for China.

South Korea claimed the Uber Cup title, the women's version of the Thomas Cup, defeating defending champions China 3-1 in the final to secure its third crown after triumphs in 2010 and 2022.

In the opening singles, a showdown between the world's top two players, World No. 1 An Se-young dominated Wang Zhiyi 21-10, 21-13 in 47 minutes.

Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning leveled the tie with a 21-15, 21-12 win over Jeong Na-eun and Lee So-hee in the first doubles.

Olympic champion Chen Yufei then fell 21-19, 21-15 to World No. 17 Kim Ga-eun in the second singles.

In the fourth match, Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian took the opening game 21-16, but the newly formed pair of Baek Ha-na and Kim Hye-jeong responded strongly, winning the next two 21-10, 21-13 to seal the victory for South Korea. (Xinhua)


Edited by Tony Sabine