Respective top seeds Japan and Indonesia secured their progress through to the 2025 BWF Sudirman Cup Finals quarter-finals in Xiamen as group winners on Thursday (1 May), although Japan had to come from two matches down to secure that status at badminton’s mixed team world championships.

Malaysia, the other already-qualified team in Group C, gave the Japanese a scare by taking each of the first two rubbers in their tussle.

First, Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei beat Midorikawa Hiroki / Igarashi Arisa in straight games in mixed doubles, before Leong Jun Hao pulled off a surprise win over world number eight Naraoka Kodai in men’s singles.

But the Japanese rallied to take the next three individual matches.

Miyazaki Tomoka beat Goh Jin Wei 21-14, 21-17; then former world number one men’s doubles pair Hoki Takuro / Kobayashi Yugo – in just their second tournament this season – beat 2022 world champions Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik in a thrilling three-game match to level the overall tie at 2-2.

The deciding women’s doubles rubber also went the distance, lasting 83 minutes as Matsuyama Nami / Shida Chiharu finally held off Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan 21-18, 18-21, 21-18.

Indonesia’s win in Group D over Denmark was a lot more straightforward, with a 4-1 victory.

Denmark’s only point came in the opening mixed doubles rubber; world number 33 Alwi Farhan then shocked Anders Antonsen, ranked 30 places higher, in the men’s singles rubber 21-17, 15-21, 21-17 to set the tone for the remainder of the tie.

The Indonesians were untroubled, winning the last three individual matches in straight games to close out the win.