Jayce
“We should win a medal,” said Kim Astrup as he and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen advanced to the men’s doubles quarterfinals from the group of death.
Group D was the most challenging group in the tournament, featuring Olympic champions Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin, World Championship silver medalists Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, 2021 World Champions Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, world number 9 pair Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi, and Pan American champions Kevin Cordón/Yuri Uriel Canjura.
With Astrup/Rasmussen facing Hoki/Kobayashi, the two quarterfinal spots from this group were still undecided. Meanwhile, on the adjacent court, Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin were up against Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi. The Chinese Taipei pair needed at least one game to secure their quarterfinal spot, while Astrup/Rasmussen needed a win to ensure their place.
Both scenarios played out as expected. Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin not only won a game but also edged out Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi with a narrow 17-21, 21-17, 24-22 victory, maintaining their undefeated record. Meanwhile, Astrup/Rasmussen saved two game points to win 21-19, 22-20, avoiding a third game.
Astrup and Rasmussen overcame their earlier loss to Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin and were elated to have turned things around, advancing from the tough group to the quarterfinals.
“It obviously means a lot. Just advancing from our group almost deserves a medal,” Astrup said. “I’m serious, because we have had back-to-back matches against world-class players, and now two other world-class pairs are fighting for the last spot. It means a lot.
“When we came here, we knew it was going to be tough. We might lose one or two matches, but fortunately, it was just one.”
Rasmussen acknowledged that they felt nervous at the start of the match, knowing they needed at least one win.
“Today’s match was really important. I was very nervous in the first game and played terribly. I felt more confident going into the quarterfinals. In the first game, I made many errors on serve, but in the second game, I felt I had no other option, so I kept fighting, and I’m glad we won.
“The crowd kept cheering for us. Winning all our matches gave us confidence, and I thank my partner; we have been fighting together all along.”
