China overcome late-night challenge at Thomas & Uber Cup Finals

China's men's and women's teams both recorded hard-fought wins at the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup Finals Monday, overcoming a demanding schedule and late setbacks.

In the second round of Group A at the Thomas Cup, China defeated Canada 4-1 despite the late withdrawal of top seed Shi Yuqi due to illness.

Shi, who was listed as China's top singles player, suffered gastrointestinal discomfort after the team submission had been made. Under tournament rules, lineups cannot be altered once they are exchanged. Given his condition and the matches ahead, Shi opted to withdraw, handing Canada an early 1-0 lead.

China's top doubles pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang edged a tight opening game 24-22 before closing out the match 21-14. Li Shifeng then edged Brian Yang 2-1 to put China in front.

The other doubles pair of He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu and singles shuttler Weng Hongyang both won in straight games in the remaining ties to secure the overall victory.

Elsewhere in the Thomas Cup, South Korea edged Chinese Taipei 3-2, while Japan swept Britain 5-0. India defeated Australia 5-0, and Malaysia beat Finland 4-1.

China and India have both booked their places in the knockout stage from Group A and will meet April 29 to decide the group winner.

Later in the Uber Cup, China's women's team endured a late-night marathon against India, with the final match ending at nearly 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Top singles player Wang Zhiyi defeated P. V. Sindhu 2-1 in a 78-minute contest, while doubles pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning and Olympic champion Chen Yufei both secured straight-game victories.

Doubles duo Luo Xumin and Zhang Shuxian and singles player Xu Wenjing then completed a 5-0 sweep, giving China a third consecutive group-stage victory.

In the other Uber Cup group matches, Japan defeated Malaysia 4-1, Denmark beat Ukraine 4-1, and Türkiye swept South Africa 5-0.