After a strong showing in the early rounds in Malaysia, reality came crashing down for the European players and fans today, as all but one European pair exited the tournament at the quarterfinal stage.

The Popov brothers
In the singles category, the Popov brothers were the last European players standing. Both faced opponents they had previously defeated and who were similarly or lower ranked.

Christo faced Japan’s Yushi Tanaka. After a close first game, which he lost 21-18, Christo fought back to take the second game. However, in the decider, Tanaka pulled away. Despite a late push from Christo, it wasn’t enough, and the Frenchman bowed out.

Toma Junior Popov faced India’s Kidambi Srikanth, who ended Nhat Nguyen’s run yesterday. The two had met five times before, with Kidambi leading 3-2. In a thrilling match filled with high-quality rallies, it was Kidambi who clinched the win, securing his first World Tour semifinal since 2022. A tough loss for Europe and Toma, but a well-earned moment for the Indian veteran.

Watch the match highlights here:

The remaining Danes
Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch, who had an impressive run that included a win over third seeds Goh/Lai, were eliminated after two tight games against Ye/Chan from Chinese Taipei.

In men’s doubles, we saw a rematch between Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen and Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard—an all-Danish clash last seen at the European Championships, where the underdogs Lundgaard/Vestergaard pulled off an upset.

This time, the world number ones Rasmussen/Astrup proved why they sit at the top of the rankings, securing a spot in their first semifinal of the year.

They will face Malaysia’s home favorites Chia/Soh, who beat Rasmus Kjær/Frederik Søgaard in straight games. While the first was one-sided, the second was a nail-biter, with the Danes nearly forcing a decider after earning a game point.

Tomorrow’s match will be crucial. All eyes are now on Astrup and Rasmussen to keep the European flame alive and reach the podium.