Thomas Indonesia vs China Final: Anthony Loses His Identity in the Opening Match

Indonesia fell behind China after Anthony's defeat to Shi. Anthony didn't put in his best performance.

HUMAS PP PBSI

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting hit the shuttlecock when facing Shi Yu Qi (China) in the opening match of the Thomas Cup final at Chengdu Hi Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium, China, on Sunday (5/5/2024). Anthony lost with a score of 21-17, 21-6.

CHENGDU, SUNDAY — Indonesia's first singles Anthony Sinisuka Ginting lost to China's representative, Shi Yu Qi, 21-17, 21-6 , in the opening match of the Thomas Cup final at the Chengdu Hi Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium, China, Sunday (5/5/2024). China opened the scoring over Indonesia, 1-0.

Shi demonstrated quality and composure as the world's second-ranked player. He managed to dictate the game's tempo to be slower and create long rallies. Anthony failed to bring his best game due to too many unforced errors. His efforts to play aggressively instead ended up being rushed.

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Anthony's experience of participating in the Thomas Cup for the fifth time had little effect. The world number seven player was able to keep up with Shi in the first game, but lost momentum in the second game. Shi was able to successfully avenge his defeat in the last meeting with Anthony.

Anthony and Shi appeared nervous at the start of the match. They briefly chased each other's scores until it reached 4-4. Almost all of the points were due to their own mistakes. The difference was that Shi started to appear calm afterwards and managed to take the lead 8-4, while Anthony continued to make many mistakes on his own.

HUMAS PP PBSI

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting hit the shuttlecock when facing Shi Yu Qi (China) in the opening match of the Thomas Cup final at Chengdu Hi Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium, China, on Sunday (5/5/2024). Anthony lost with a score of 21-17, 21-6.

Shi continued the momentum until the first game break with an 11-7 lead. China's top singles player was very comfortable playing in a long rally. Meanwhile, Anthony tended to score more points from short rallies when he had the opportunity to make a smash.

Compared to when I won (against Shi Yu Qi) at the World Tour Finals last year, Shi Yu Qi's performance today is completely different.

Anthony still hasn't found his best game after the break. He fell further behind Shi, 8-15. Eight of Shi's total points were due to Anthony's mistakes. Anthony's ball went out of bounds more frequently. On the other hand, Shi's shots were very consistent for playing long rallies.

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Four consecutive points had given Anthony hope of a comeback. With more aggressive attacks and a higher tempo, he reduced the deficit to 16-18. However, two consecutive mistakes broke that momentum. Shi closed out the opening game with a clever deceptive shot at the net, 21-17.

Anthony's string of mistakes continued into the second game, allowing Shi to take a significant lead of 11-1. The mistakes seemed to weigh heavily on Anthony's shoulders. He even failed to strike a manageable ball in front of the net, causing it to get caught in the net. Anthony shook his head in frustration.

HUMAS PP PBSI

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting played against Shi Yu Qi (China) in the opening match of the Thomas Cup final at the Chengdu Hi Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium, China, on Sunday (5/5/2024). Anthony lost with a score of 21-17, 21-6.

After the second game break, Anthony made a similar mistake in front of the net. Shi became even more calm because he realized his opponent was not in the best condition. At the same time, the home crowd's support for Shi grew louder. With a lead of 15-1, it seemed as though Shi was unstoppable.

Shi ended the second game with a convincing lead of 21-6, in just 16 minutes. His strategy to "throw" Anthony in various directions from the beginning of the match proved to be successful. Indonesia is now relying on the first doubles pair, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, to equalize the score.

Also read: History of the Thomas Cup and Indonesia's Achievement Records

"Compared to when he won the World Tour Finals, Shi Yu Qi's performance today was completely different. He was more careful in determining his strategy, considering the situation and what needed to be done," said Anthony after the final match.

Anthony confirmed that his defeat was not due to pressure from the audience or the pressure of the final match. The loss was due to the way he played on the field, especially since Shi was not an easy opponent.

AFP/WANG ZHAO

The expression of Anthony Sinisuka Ginting after earning one point against Jeon Hyeok-jin from South Korea in the first singles quarter-final match at the Thomas Cup tournament in Sichuan, China on Friday (3/5/2024).

Shi has a superior record over Anthony in their meetings, with 8 wins and 2 losses. However, many of Shi's victories occurred in the early stages of their meetings. They have been tied in the last four matches. Anthony won their last duel at the 2023 BWF World Tour Finals with a three-game battle of 11-21, 21-7, 21-17.

Shi ended his appearance in the Thomas Cup with a brilliant record, winning all 6 matches. China's spearhead was not "touched" throughout the tournament. He seemed to enjoy the pressure of playing in front of his home crowd.