India’s path to another Thomas Cup medal now lies through a familiar and dangerous foe. The 2022 champions will meet Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals.

The draw has handed India one of the toughest possible opponents in the knockout stage. Chinese Taipei has depth in the men’s singles and a variety of tactical options, particularly on the quick courts of Horsens.

India still remembers its group-stage loss to Taiwan in 2022 before finally winning the Thomas Cup title. In those days India lost both the first singles and first doubles. They hope their experience can help them avoid another slow start this time.

According to The Times of India, Chinese Taipei beat Denmark 3-2 in the group stage despite losses from world number four Chou Tien-chen and newly crowned Asian Championships winner Lin Chun-yi.

Lin was beaten by Magnus Johannesen in three games, but he recently thrashed India’s Ayush Shetty at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo.

But gates can open for India with injury concerns surrounding some of the Taiwanese players. Once more, Lakshya Sen could be the man to take the hopes of India in the top singles clash.

Sen won both of their meetings in 2025, and they are 4-4 in career meetings. Sen has also recorded memorable wins over Chou at the Olympics and All England Championships.

Pressure will also be on India's doubles department. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who have struggled to finish key points in their recent matches, are expected to lead the challenge in first doubles.

Chiu Hsian Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin were impressive for Chinese Taipei against Denmark, and the second doubles pair of Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Hsuan also grabbed a point.

But the real test for India could be the bench strength of Chinese Taipei. Lee Chia Hao remains on the roster as a reserve singles option, and the team can shuffle its lineup depending on matchups.

China-Malaysia Clash Headlines Other Quarterfinals apart from India and Chinese Taipei

The other quarter finals are looking very competitive as well. China plays Malaysia in one of the round’s headline clashes, while Thailand takes on Denmark in another evenly poised contest. Meanwhile, France continues its strong campaign against Japan.

As far as the tie against Malaysia is concerned, China are the favorites on paper, with their squad depth and strong doubles combinations, but the experienced Malaysian pairs could make the tie competitive.

Japan is a little bit more balanced and has more experience in big matches. Thailand vs. Denmark could be the closest contest of the round, with both teams having strong singles lineups.

The winners will move a step closer to the coveted Thomas Cup title.

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Written by

Chitrak Mukherjee

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi