Moh Zaki Ubaidillah
Indonesia came back from the brink to keep their Thomas Cup hopes alive to edge out Thailand 3-2 in their Group D match in Horsens, Denmark.
Starring at defeat in the second doubles, lady luck was with the Indonesians to not only scrape through the match but win the tie with a commanding display from Moh Zaki Ubaidillah in the deciding third singles.
The 14-time champions, who last lifted the coveted trophy in Denmark six years ago, will need to lift themselves if they hope to repeat the success here again.
Former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn gave the Thais a dream start when he battled past Jonatan Christie 21-16, 20-22, 22-20 after a grueling 88-minute battle.
It was the world number two’s third successive win over Jonatan and also levels their career head-to-head to 8-8.
Indonesia pulled back when Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani defeated Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn-Worrapol Thongsa-Nga 21-17, 21-18 in the first doubles tie.
Indonesia struggled in the second singles when their rising star Alwi Farhan ranked 14th in the world was upset 14-21, 21-17, 21-16 by 26th ranked Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul.
Indonesian hopes almost came undone in the second doubles match when scratch pair Fajar Alfian-Nikolaus Joaquin were almost beaten by their Thais rivals Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.
The gamble to bring in Fajar in place of Raymond Indra almost backfired with the Thais taking punching above themselves in a crucial tie. The Indonesian pair had to save two match points before prevailing 19-21, 21-17, 25-23.
The deciding singles was a one-way traffic with world number 39 Moh Zaki Ubaidillah taking on world number 327 Tanawat Yimjit.
The Indonesian was hardly threatened as he carved out the winning point with a 21-11, 21-12 victory in just 39-minutes.
RESULTS
THOMAS CUP
Group D
Indonesia beat Thailand 3-2 (Jonatan Christie lost to Kunlavut Vitidsarn 16-21, 22-20, 20-22; Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani beat Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn-Worrapol Thongsa-Nga 21-17, 21-18; Alwi Farhan lost to Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 21-14, 17-21, 16-21; Fajar Alfian-Nikolaus Joaquin beat Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 19-21, 21-17, 25-23; Moh Zaki Ubaidillah bt Tanawat Yimjit 21-11, 21-12.
France beat Algeria 5-0 (Christo Popov bt Adel Hamek 21-5, 21-5; Toma Junior Popov bt 21-4, 21-7; Enogat Roy bt Mohamed Abdelaziz Ouchefoun 21-9, 21-11; Mael Cattoen-Lucas Renoir bt Mohamed Abderrahime Belarbi-Adel Hamek 21-8, 21-16; Eloi Adam-Leo Rossi bt Koceila Mammeri-Mohamed Abdelaziz Ouchefoun 21-4, 21-11)
UBER CUP
Group B
Malaysia beat South Africa 5-0 (Letshanaa Karupathevan bt Johanita Scholtz 21-6, 21-10; Wong Ling Ching bt Chloe Lai 21-8, 21-4; Siti Zulaikha bt Elme de Villiers 21-11, 21-5; Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting bt Amy Ackerman-Johanita Scholtz 21-16, 21-14; Chong Jie Yu-Low Zi Yu bt Elme de Villiers-Anri Schoonees 21-12, 21-5)
Group D
Thailand beat Spain 5-0 (Pornpawee Chochuwong bt Clara Azurmendi 21-19, 12-21, 21-8; Hathaithip Mijad-Napapakorn Tungkasatan bt Nikol Carulla-Carmen Maria Jimenez 21-7, 21-14; Supanida Katethong bt Cristina Teruel 21-18, 21-6; Ornnicha Jongsatahpornparn-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat bt Paula Lopez-Lucia Rodriguez 21-19, 21-15; Busanan Ongbamrungphan bt Ines Costero 21-15, 21-10)
Korea beat Bulgaria 5-0 (An Se-young bt Kaloyana Nalbanktova 21-7, 21-12; Sim Yu-jin bt Gergana Pavlova 21-6, 21-9; Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee bt Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva 21-17, 21-14; Kim Ga-ram bt Elena Popivanova 21-7, 21018; Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hey-jeong bt Gergana Pavlova-Tscetina Popovanova 21-9, 21-4)
