Yesterday, the French men secured their first-ever Thomas Cup medal. Today, they have gone one step further by reaching their very first final.

Just like yesterday, France only needed three matches to secure the win, with all three victories coming from the singles players once again.

Match results:
Christo Popov 21–11, 21–9 Ayush Shetty
Alex Lanier 21–16, 21–18 Kidambi Srikanth
Toma Popov 21–19, 21–16 H. S. Prannoy

Just like yesterday, it was Toma Popov who once again sealed the win for France. Playing the decisive matches is something the French star clearly enjoys:

“I hope I get to play them a lot (deciding matches), because that's why we play sports. That's the crazy thing with sports—the emotions, the vibe on the court, the vibe with the team, the vibe with the crowd.”

“It is not an easy responsibility because it can go both ways, so I am very happy and proud that it turned in my favour the last couple of days, and I hope also tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, France will face China in the final.

This was confirmed after the star-studded Chinese team defeated Denmark 3–0 earlier this evening. Denmark fought with everything they had, but it was not enough against the reigning champions.

Match results:
Anders Antonsen 16–21, 5–21 Shi Yu Qi
K. Astrup / A. Rasmussen 18–21, 17–21 L. Liang / C. Wang
Magnus Johannesen 19–21, 21–18, 9–21 Li Shi Feng

Despite today’s loss, it is still a strong result for Denmark, who secure their first Thomas Cup medal since 2022, once again taking bronze.

The final is something Toma Popov is clearly looking forward to, and he believes anything can happen:

“I think everything is possible because it is a final. Mentally, we have a really great team with strong bonds. You can see it on the bench, everybody is cheering for each other. I think we have this positive mindset that is pushing us through all the stages of this Thomas Cup.”

The final will be played Sunday evening at 18:00 CET