Ratchanok, Tanongsak advance
Eighth seed Ratchanok Intanon eased into the second round of the China Open at Haixia Olympic Sports Center in Fuzhou yesterday.
The 22-year-old Thai cruised past Chen Su-yu of Taiwan 21-10, 21-14 in just 30 minutes at the US$700,000 (approximately 23.1 million baht) BWF Superseries tournament.
World No.6 Ratchanok next plays Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hsin, who defeated Israel’s Ksenia Polikarpova 21-11, 21-13.
Ratchanok has won three titles so far this season, including the Denmark Open Superseries Premier event in Odensk last month.
Compatriot Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk had to fight much harder to come through his thrilling 81-minute men’s singles opening match.
The world No.18 dropped the first game 12-21 against Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus of Denmark but clawed his way back to win the next two 21-19, 24-22 to seal his place in the second round.
Tanongsak next faces either Rajiv Ouseph of England or fourth seed Shi Yuqi of China in the second round.
Two of the Thai doubles teams came through their first round hurdles.
Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Puttita Supajirakul scraped past Chan Peng Soon and Cheah Yee See of Malaysia 21-12, 15-21, 21-17 in the mixed doubles event while Chayanit Chaladchalam and Phataimas Muenwong beat Taiwan’s Chang Hsintien and Yu Chien-hui 21-15, 21-17 in the women’s doubles.
Dechapol and Kittinupong Kedren were due to play Lee Jhe-huei and Lee yang of Taiwan in the men’s doubles later last night.
There was a huge upset earlier in the day when Chinese legend Lin Dan was dumped out of the men’s singles first round by Indonesia’s world No.17 Jonatan Christie.
The 21-19, 21-16 defeat will ramp up speculation that the 34-year-old Lin, widely regarded as the best badminton player of all time, could call it quits as he approaches the end of his brilliant career.
Lin’s great rival, the Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, had no such trouble in a 21-5, 21-7 demolition of Taiwan’s Hsu Jen-hao while top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark also advanced with a 21-17, 21-17 win over Zhao Junpeng of China.