Indonesia Open: Chou Ekes Out Shaky Win
Two expressive players and their equally expressive coaches on the sidelines, were going at it late on Thursday with a quarterfinals place at stake.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The second round contest between Chou Tien Chen and Christo Popov, enhanced by the unique atmosphere at the Istora – a place of special significance for 2019 winner Chou – was also emblematic of how far France have come as a badminton power.
With two quarterfinal places secured – courtesy of Alex Lanier and Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue – France were very much in sight of a third spot, one more than European superpowers Denmark, before Chou dug in from his vast reservoir of will to deny French ambitions.
It looked set to go the other way when Popov, trailing 16-9, dramatically pulled level with his opponent playing a series of shaky points. With every point, his father Toma Popov raised his hands triumphantly, mirroring Chou’s physio Victoria Kao on the opposite bench.