The Koreans, who have emerged as a powerful force in men’s badminton, lost 4-1 after fielding a weakened team, with Asian champion Park Sung-Hwan and Korean Open winner Lee Hyun-Il playing doubles together instead of singles.
Team manager Kim Jong-Soo said their tactics were to avoid winning their group to ensure a more favourable quarter-final draw.
“We formulated a strategy before we arrived where we want to meet Denmark in the quarter-finals, and that means not finishing top of the group,” he said. “The Badminton World Federation (BWF) created these rules, but I’d much prefer having the two top automatically qualify for the quarter-finals.”
The Thomas and Uber Cup tournaments are structured so that the top finisher in each three-team group receive a bye to the quarter-finals, while the other two play an elimination game to make the last eight.
If Korea finished top of their group they faced the prospect of meeting defending champions China in the semi-finals. As it is, they finished third after losing 4-1 to eventual group winners Malaysia Monday evening.
It means they play minnows Canada in the elimination game. If they win that they are in the quarters and would avoid China until the final.
The BWF were expected to issue a statement but nothing was forthcoming.
The controversy overshadowed China racing to a 5-0 win over Canada to follow up their whitewash of Nigeria on the opening day. The victories ensure they receive a bye to the quarter-finals where they play Thailand or New Zealand.
World No 1 Lin Dan was again in fine touch as he cantered past Andrew Dabeka 21-11, 21-15, while Bao Chunlai eased to a 21-14, 21-8 victory over Bobby Milroy.
Olympic and Asiad champion Taufik Hidayat bounced back from his shock opening day defeat to beat Dieter Domke 21-10, 21-16 as Indonesia hammered Germany 5-0 to book their place in the last eight against England or Nigeria.
China’s women were also firing in the parallel Uber Cup. World number one Xie Xingfang, Zhu Lin, and Jiang Yanjiao all easily won their singles matches to help the defending champions reach the knockout round.
There they play the Netherlands or New Zealand.
Indonesia beat the Netherlands to secure a quarter-final berth on Monday evening while South Korea beat Hong Kong for a place in the last eight. Denmark is the other automatic qualifier.
Results:
Thomas Cup:
Japan bt New Zealand 5-0 (Shoji Sato bt John Moody 21-17, 21-18; Keita Masuda/Tadashi Ohtsuka bt Henry Tam/Nathan Hannam 21-9, 21-9; Sho Sasaki bt Joe Wu 21-4, 21-12; Keishi Kawaguchi/Naoki Kawamae bt Craig Cooper/John Moody 21-16, 21-14; Hiroyuki Endo bt Kevin Dennerley 21-6, 21-16).
England bt South Korea 4-1 (Andrew Smith bt Hong Ji-Hoon 21-18, 18-21, 21-16; Lee Young-Dae/Shon Seung-Mo bt Robert Adcock/Robin Middleton 21-19, 21-15; Rajiv Ouseph bt Lee Jae-Jin 21-11, 21-19; Christopher Langridge/Christopher Adcock bt Park Sung-Hwan/Lee Hyun-Il 21-16, 21-12; Nathan Rice bt Hwang Ji-Man 21-11, 21-18).
China bt Canada 5-0 (Lin Dan bt Andrew Dabeka 21-11, 21-15; Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng bt Mike Beres/William Milroy 21-11, 21-10; Bao Chunlai bt Bobby Milroy 21-14, 21-8; Xie Zhongbo/Guo Zhendong bt Toby Ng/Alvin Lau 21-18, 21-8; Jin Chen bt Stephan Wojcikiewicz 21-17, 21-10).
Indonesia bt Germany 5-0 (Sony Dwi
Kuncoro bt Marc Zwiebler 21-10, 21-11; Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan bt Roman Spitko/Michael Fuchs 18-21. 21-12, 21-7; Taufik Hidayat bt Dieter Domke 21-10, 21-16; Candra Wijaya/Nova Widianto bt Tim Dettmann/Johannes Schoettler 21-17, 21-17; Simon Santoso bt Sven Eric Kastens 21-14, 21-11).
Malaysia bt South Korea 4-1 (Lee Chong Wei (MAS) bt Shon Seung-Mo (KOR) 21-14, 21-14; Wong Choong Hann (MAS) bt Hong Ji-Hoon (KOR) 21-14, 21-10; Jung Jae-Sung/Lee Jae-Jin (KOR) bt Lee Wan Wah/Choong Tan Fook (MAS) 20-22, 21-10, 21-16; Muhammad Hafiz Hashim (MAS) bt Hwang Ji-Man (KOR) 21-5, 21-11; Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong (MAS) bt Lee Young-Dae/Hong Ji Hoon (KOR) 23-21, 21-19).
Uber Cup:
Netherlands bt Japan 3-2 (Jie Yao (NED) bt Eriko Hirose (JPN) 21-16, 21-19; Judith Meulendijks (NED) bt Yu Hirayama (JPN) 21-17, 21-16; Satoko Suetsuna/Miyuki Maeda (JPN) bt Paulien Van Dooremalen/Rachel Van Custon (NED) 21-19, 21-15; Kaori Imabeppu (JPN) bt Karina De Wit (NED) 23-21, 14-21, 21-19; Jie Yao/Judith Meulendijks (NED) bt Reiko Shiota/Tomomi Matsuda (JPN) 21-18, 24-22).
Hong Kong bt South Africa 5-0 (Yip Pui Yin bt Kerry-Lee Harrington 21-6, 21-7; Mong Kwan Yi bt Stacey Doubell 21-6, 21-9; Ng Ka Shun bt Annari Viljoen 21-18, 21-10; Koon Wai Chee/Chau Hoi Wah bt Michelle Edwards/Chantal Botts 21-19, 21-10; Chan Tsz Ka/Tse Ying Suet bt Annari Viljoen/Jade Morgan 21-16, 21-18).
China bt Germany 4-1 (Xie Xingfang (CHN) bt Xu Huaiwen (GER) 21-10, 21-13; Zhu Lin (CHN) bt Julianne Scenk (GER) 21-18, 21-13; Jiang Yanjiao (CHN) bt Carola Bott (GER) 21-12, 21-8; Wei Yili/Zhang Yawen (CHN) bt Kathrin Piotrowski/Michaela Peiffer (GER) 21-0, 21-0; Carola Bott/Karin Schnaase (GER) bt Gao Ling/Zhao Tingting (CHN) 21-0, 21-0).
Denmark bt Malaysia 3-2 (Tine Rasmussen bt Wong Mew Choo 19-21, 21-19, 21-14; Chin Hui Eei/Wong Tty Pei bt Kamilla Rytter Juhl/Marie Ropke 22-20, 21-16; Nanna Brosolat Jensen bt Julia Wong Pei Xian 13-21, 21-19, 21-19; Christinna Pedersen/Mie Schjott Kristensen bt Lim Pek Siah/Ng Hui Lin 21-18, 21-18; Lydia Cheah Li Ya bt Camilla Sorensen 21-11, 21-14).South Korea bt Hong Kong 5-0 (Hwang Hye-Youn bt Yip Pui Yin 10-21, 21-17, 21-15; Lee Yun-Hwa bt Ng Ka Shun 21-12, 21-17; Jang Soo-Young bt Chan Tsz Ka 21-14, 21-9; Lee Kyung-Won/Lee Hyo-Jung bt Koon Wai Chee/Mong Kwan Yi 21-11, 21-15; Kim Ming-Jung/Ha Jung-Eun bt Chan Tsz Ka/Tse Ying Suet 21-18, 21-11).
Indonesia bt Netherlands 5-0 (Maria Kristin bt Rachel Van Cutsen 21-7, 21-14; Jo Novita/Greysia Polii bt Eefje Muskens/Iise Vaessen 21-11, 21-18; Adriyanti Firdasari bt Patty Stolzenbach 21-15, 21-14; Lilyana Natsir/Vita Marissa bt Paulien Van Dooremalen/Rachel Van Cutsen 21-11, 21-11; Pia Zebadiah bt Wong Yik Man 21-13, 21-12).—AFP