Ratchanok, Busanan advance
Ratchanok Intanon cruised past fellow Thai Porntip Buranaprasertsuk in the first round of the US$400,000 (13 million baht) Hong Kong Open yesterday.
The sixth seed, who needed only 26 minutes to win their opening encounter 21-15, 21-12, next faces Indonesia’s Yulia Yosephin Susanto, who knocked out another Thai player Nitchaon Jindapol at the BWF Superseries tournament at Hong Kong Coliseum in Kowloon.
World No.6 Ratchanok is chasing her fourth title of the year. She won the Thailand Open in June, the New Zealand Open in August — both Grand Prix Gold tournaments — and the Denmark Open Superseries Premier event last month.
Ratchanok, 22, reached the semi-finals at the China Open Superseries Premier tournament in Fuzhou last week.
As for Porntip, the first round tie against Ratchanok was her first Superseries match in almost a year. The former world No.8 suffered a serious knee injury while playing in Malaysia’s Purple League in December last year. She won both of her qualifying matches to reach the main draw in Hong Kong.
The 26-year-old star is currently ranked 177th in the world.
Another Thai hope Busanan Ongbamrungphan also came through her first round match against Chiang Mei-hui of Taiwan 21-17, 21-10. She next plays No.7 seed He Bingjiao of China.
Pornpawee Chochuwong was unable to join her compatriots in the second round after losing to top seed Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan 19-21, 14-21.
World No.1 Tai awaits the winner of the tie between home player Cheung Ngan Yi and Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi.
Second seed PV Sindhu of India, No.3 Sung Ji-Hyun of South Korea, No.4 Carolina Marin of Spain and No.8 Chen Yufei of China all made it to the second round after winning their openers in straight games.
In the men’s singles event, Khosit Phetpradab advanced after beating China’s Huang Yuxiang 21-16, 21-14 but compatriot Suppanyu Avihingsanon lost to Chinese legend Lin Dan, who is seeded No.3 this week, 24-22, 11-21, 18-21.
Nipitphon Phuangphuapet and Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Chayanit Chaladchalam and Phataimas Muenwong fell to get past their first hurdles in the mixed doubles and women’s doubles events respectively.