PETALING JAYA: Malaysia failed in its quest to bring back the Thomas Cup after it crashed out to Japan 3-2 in a gripping final in New Delhi, India on Sunday.
Japan clinched the winning point in the fifth and deciding game when Takuma Ueda defeated Liew Daren 21-12, 18-21, 21-17.
It was Lee Chong Wei who opened winning accounts for Malaysia when he defeated Kenichi Tago in the first game 21-12, 21-16.
Japan came back in the second game when its pairing of Kenichi Hayakawa-Hiroyuki Endo beat Tan Boon Heong-Hoon Thien How in a nail-biting three-set thriller. The five-game final was tied at 1-1.
Tan-Hoon had taken the first set 21-12 against the world No 3 of Japan but lost in the second 17-21 to force the match into a rubber set.
In the decider, the two pairs matched point for point but the Japanese hung on to their lead to win 21-19.
Go V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong gave Malaysia the second point when they beat Keigo Sonoda-Takeshi Kamura with a hard-fought 19-21, 21-17, 21-12 win and tied the score at 2-2.
Then came second singles player Ken Momota who gave Japan the lead when he beat Chong Wei Feng 21-15, 21-17 to put the tie at 2-1 for Japan before Goh-Tan found the much-needed point in the second doubles.
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