Porntip out of Uber Cup
World No.16 Porntip Buranaprasertsuk has been forced to withdraw from the Thai squad for the 2016 Thomas & Uber Cup due to injury.
Porntip, who recently qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games, decided to pull out of the team championship, which will be taking place in Jiangsu, China on May 15-22, to take rest and recover in time for the Rio tournament in August.
At the Jiangsu tournament, she will be replaced by Nichaon Jindapon, ranked 25th in the world.
Thailand, led by world No.2 Ratchanok Intanon and Busanan Ongbumrungpan, are in Group C with Indonesia, Hong Kong and Bulgaria in the women’s Uber Cup event.
In the Thomas Cup, Thailand have been drawn in Group B with Indonesia, India and Hong Kong. Boonsak Ponsana and Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk will lead the Thai challenge.
Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, president of the Badminton Association of Thailand, said that it will be a tough battle for the men’s team as they have been placed in the “group of death”.
“We are pinning our hopes on the women’s team. I think they can reach the semifinals,” Khunying Patama added.
The women team’s best result in the tournament was a third-place finish at the 2012 edition, while the men’s side had finished second way back in 1961.
In another development, Ratchanok has been drawn to face Sun Yu in the first round of the US$900,000 Indonesia Open on May 30-June 5. Ratchanok beat the Chinese in the final of the Singapore Open to win her third straight Superseries event.
Seeded second for the Indonesia tournament, defending champion Ratchanok needs to perform well to keep her world ranking, which will be used to seed players for the Olympic Games on July 21.
The former world champion said that to improve her chances for an Olympic medal, she must stay in the top four to avoid facing big names early in Rio de Janeiro.
If she beats Yu in the first round, she is likely to meet Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong in the second round and then face sixth seeded Wang Shixian of China in the third round.
Reigning world No.1 Carolina Marin of Spain is in the top half of the draw which includes the likes of Saina Nehwal of India, and Wang Yihan of China.