The former India coach breaks down the Popov resistance, China’s decisive moment, and why singles decided everything .Renowned coach Vimal Kumar offered a sharp tactical reading of the tie, pointing out that France’s chances were “effectively over once they lost the first singles match.”
Referring to the high-quality opener between Shi Yuqi and Christo Popov, Vimal highlighted why the Chinese ace remains one of the toughest players to decode in world badminton today.
“His variation, control of pace, and ability to disguise shots make him extremely difficult to read.”
Yet, Vimal was equally full of praise for Popov’s resistance.
“Christo did exceptionally well to push him to the limit. His defensive retrieval and rally control began to wear Shi down in the third game.”
Popov even led 16–14 in the decider, a point Vimal described as the real turning moment of the match.
“At that crucial stage, Shi raised his intensity, produced a series of steep and accurate smashes, and turned the match around.”
The Tactical Detail Many Missed
Vimal also drew attention to a strategic nuance that confused many viewers — France’s match ordering.
With the Popov brothers — Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov — being a top-ranked doubles pair while also playing singles, France deliberately listed three singles matches first in their lineup.
“This allows France to maximise their strength in singles before potentially fielding their top doubles pair.”
According to Vimal, this is why France consistently appeared to start with singles in their ties, leading to confusion among those unaware of the tactical ordering.
Why India, Japan, Indonesia Couldn’t Benefit
Vimal applied the same logic to other teams.
On paper, sides like Indonesia national badminton team, Japan national badminton team, and India national badminton team had stronger doubles depth than France.
“Had India managed to win even one singles match in similar ties, our doubles pairs would have had a strong chance of clinching the contest. Unfortunately, that opportunity didn’t materialise.”
The same applied to Japan and Indonesia, who could not secure that early singles breakthrough to bring their doubles strength into play.
China the Only Team to Break the Singles Wall
Vimal concluded that China stood apart because they were the only team able to breach France’s singles strength.
“China was the only team that successfully broke through France’s singles strength, and that made the difference.”
He also credited France’s singles unit for their role in the team’s impressive run.
“Full credit must go to France’s singles players — they were outstanding throughout the competition and played a key role in taking their team this far.”
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