India go down to France in Thomas Cup semis

India’s hopes of reclaiming the title ended in disappointment as they went down 0-3 to France in the semifinals of the Thomas Cup Finals, settling for a bronze medal here on Saturday.

The absence of Lakshya Sen proved costly as HS Prannoy joined Ayush Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth in defeat, losing 19-21, 16-21 to world No. 17 Toma Junior Popov, as India failed to win a single game in a completely one-sided contest.

India, champions in 2022, had already assured themselves of a medal by reaching the semifinals, adding to their bronze finishes in 1952, 1955 and 1979.

With the win, France became only the second European nation to reach the final after Denmark’s maiden title in 2016.

Ayush, drafted into the opening singles with Lakshya nursing a swollen right elbow, went down 11-21, 9-21 in 39 minutes to world No. 4 Christo Popov.

 All eyes were on Srikanth to restore parity, but the former world No. 1 went down fighting 16-21, 18-21 to world No. 10 Alex Lanier in the second singles.

 The onus was then on Prannoy to keep India alive, and though the 2023 World Championships bronze medallist put up a better fight, he could not get past world No. 17 Popov.

Srikanth vs Alex:  Srikanth began on an even footing, matching his younger opponent at 3-3 in the opening game and mixing his strokes well with tight net play and steep smashes. However, Lanier stepped up the pace to open a lead at the interval.

With rallies kept short, Srikanth struggled with unforced errors and fell behind 9-14. Though he mounted a brief comeback to close the gap to 15-18, a net error halted his charge as Lanier converted his game points.

The second game followed a similar pattern. Srikanth recovered from an early deficit to draw level at 7-7 with a series of attacking winners, but Lanier’s strategy of injecting pace and pressing the forecourt forced more errors from the Indian, who slipped to 10-15.

Srikanth attempted another late push, narrowing the margin to 15-16, but errors crept in during the closing exchanges. Lanier earned two match points after winning a flat rally and sealed the contest when Srikanth found the net.

Ayush vs Christo:  Earlier, Ayush, who has been on a rampaging run in this tournament, suffered his second loss to Popov, having also gone down in their only previous meeting at the Hylo Open in 2024.

Popov dictated the proceedings from the outset, using deep, probing returns to move Ayush around the court and seize early control of the net. The Indian showed initial patience but a string of unforced errors allowed the Frenchman to surge to an 8-3 lead.

Ayush produced a few flashes, including sharp cross-court and body smashes, but could not sustain the pressure as Popov extended his advantage to 11-6 at the interval and then 15-6, controlling the pace with precision.

Though a few errors from Popov briefly kept Ayush in the contest, the Indian failed to capitalise, and the Frenchman closed out the opening game comfortably after squandering a few game points.

 The second game followed a similar pattern, with Popov tightening his grip early to open up a 4-1 lead and dominating the front court exchanges. Ayush looked tentative and struggled to read his opponent, while Popov repeatedly targeted his backhand corner to pile on the pressure.

The Frenchman raced to an 11-2 lead at the break and never relented, dictating rallies at will. Ayush’s occasional winners came too late as Popov surged to 19-8 before earning a cluster of match points to seal the contest with ease.

“I am a bit disappointed with the performance today but Christo played solid. His deception got me off guard, I was not really stable on the foot. I think overall his pace was really high and he was putting the pressure really good,” Ayush said.

“I think my overall game plan was not right, I would say. I think he just outclassed me today.

“I mean the point was to put the pressure on but I think he really pushed the pace and he was not giving me a chance to hit the net. I think he dominated the net and the shots were a bit fast today. I think that made the difference.”

Lakshya’s absence felt:  Former India chief coach Vimal Kumar said the absence of Lakshya Sen was a major setback and was felt in the contest against France.

 “France completely overwhelmed India today, and Lakshya’s absence was certainly felt at crucial moments. For India, this is a moment to regroup and come back stronger. The potential in this team is unquestionable,” he said.