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Indonesia’s Thomas Cup squad enjoyed the privilege afforded a high seed on Monday as it was drawn with Australia and India in Group D.

Defending champion and top seed China landed in Group A with South Korea and Peru, while host Malaysia, Japan and Nigeria ended up in Group B. The three European qualifiers — Denmark, Germany and Poland — were drawn together in Group C.

Indonesia was seeded second in the 12-team event. The tournament begins in Kuala Lumpur on May 9-16.

“It is a good draw for the men’s team, but it doesn’t mean we can underestimate the opponents,” national team head coach Christian Hadinata said on Monday.

“We have seen India’s performance during the Asian zone qualifying. If it can make it to the finals, it means it can be a potential threat for Indonesia. However, I’m sure we can come out as the group winner.”

Indonesia’s women face a tougher road in the Uber Cup group phase. They were drawn in Group B with Australia and top European team Denmark, which boasts star singles shuttlers such as Tine Rasmussen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl.

“It will be a tough match. Just like the men’s team, the women’s team also must come out as the group winner if it wants to have a better chance,” Christian said.

The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals. Group winners will be seeded by their world ranking in the knockout phase, with the runners-up placed into a draw.

The World Badminton Federation (BWF) introduced the new format after teams protested against the old system. In the 2008 tournament, the third-place team from each group still had a chance to advance to the quarterfinals if it won in the playoffs, a system the BWF preferred in order to have more matches at the tournament.

South Korea lost all of its Thomas Cup group matches and finished third in Group B. However, it won the playoff and advanced through the knockout rounds to the final, where it lost to eventual winner China.

The Koreans admitted after the tournament that they deliberately lost their group matches in order to avoid playing Indonesia, which hosted the event, in the quarterfinals.

“I think it is better with the new format. Now every participant has no chance to pick their opponents and they have to win all their matches to be the champion,” Christian said.