To cap off a fantastic day for European badminton, even though we saw Stoevas loss earlier, Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup have booked their spot in the semifinals at the World Championships. In yet another dramatic encounter, the Danes overcame Japan’s Hoki/Kobayashi, fighting back for a 12-21, 21-19, 21-17 victory to secure their third World Championships medal.

The deciding game looked comfortable at 14-5 in favor of the Danes, but the tension rose as the Japanese pair closed the gap. Memories of last year’s devastating collapse at the Olympic Games in the very same arena, where a squandered lead cost them a medal, came back. Astrup admitted as much afterwards: “It is very difficult not to (get flashbacks). We got a big trauma last time, and I am satisfied that we got our revenge. It is a big relief.”

The pair were also quick to highlight the collective effort behind their success: “First of all it is a medal for our federation, our colleagues, ourselves, and for Denmark.”

Astrup and Skaarup have been close to the ultimate prize before at the World Championships, and while they go into tomorrow’s semifinal against South Korea’s Kim/Seo as underdogs, their ambition is clear. When asked what a gold medal would mean, they had a one-word answer: “Everything.”

Tomorrow’s semifinals will feature three European hopes for a spot in the finals:

• Astrup/Skaarup vs. Kim/Seo

• Gicquel/Delrue vs. Chen/Toh

• Anders Antonsen vs. Kunlavut Vitidsarn