Third seed Ratchanok reaches last eight in Japan Open
Ratchanok Intanon stormed into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open yesterday.
In her first event after crashing out in the second round of the 2016 Olympic Games, world No.4 Ratchanok took a 21-11, 21-10 win over Minatsu Mitani of Japan in the second round of the women’s singles.
The third seeded Thai will today face world No.15 He Bingjiao of China for a place in the semi-finals.
In their only previous meeting, He beat Ratchanok 2-1 in the second round of the Swiss Open earlier this year.
The 21-year-old Ratchanok is the only Thai left in the women’s single after Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, Nichaon Jindapol and Busanan Ongbumrungpan all lost in the round of 32.
Ratchanok is the highest ranked player in the US$300,000 BWF Superseries event.
Local prospect Akane Yamaguchi, who beat Ratchanok in the round of 16 in the Rio Games, will today face compatriot and world No.5 Nozomi Okuhara in the quarter-finals, while No.11 Sun Yu of China will meet Sayaka Takahashi of Japan.
In the men’s singles, qualifier Khosit Phetpradab stunned fifth seed Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan in yesterday’s second round to set up a meeting with third seed Jan O Jorgesen of Denmark in the next round.
In the women’s doubles, Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai made it to the quarter-finals, where they will meet top seeds Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi. In the other quarter-final, Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai face local pair of Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto.
Thai pairs of Nipitphon Phuagphuapet and Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai have also reach the quarter-finals.