Ratchanok, Busanan set up clash in Malaysia
Defending champion Ratchanok Intanon will today meet compatriot Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the second round of the Malaysia Open after both came through their first round matches in Kuching yesterday.
Seventh seed Ratchanok, 22, won 10 straight points in the second game as she beat world No.19 Sayaka Sato of Japan 21-18, 21-10 at the US$600,000 BWF Superseries Premier tournament.
World No.12 Busanan, meanwhile, was equally impressive as she cruised past Hsu Ya-ching of Taiwan 21-10, 21-7 in just 28 minutes.
Another Thai in the women’s singles event, Nitchaon Jindapol also advanced with a 21-15, 22-20 win over Chiang Mei Hui of Taiwan.
In the second round, Nitchaon will face a very tough assignment against Spanish world No.2 Carolina Marin, who eased past Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong 21-16, 21-11.
In other women’s singles results yesterday, third seed Sung Ji-Hyun of South Korea beat Minatsu Mitani of Japan 21-18, 21-15 while fourth seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan overcame Saina Nehwal of India 19-21, 21-13, 21-15.
Sung defeated Ratchanok in the quarterfinals of the India Open last week.
In the men’s doubles, Bodin Isara and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet knocked out seventh seeds Ricky Karandasuwardi and Angga Pratama of Indonesia 21-18, 16-21, 21-16 while Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh joined them in the second round after beating Mathias Christiansen and David Daugaard of Denmark 25-27, 21-14, 21-10.
In the mixed doubles, Dechapol and Sapsiree Taerattanachai got past Christiansen and Sara Thygesen 21-19, 18-21, 21-14 but Nipitphon and Jongkolphan Kititharakul fell to sixth seeds Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto of Indonesia 22-24, 21-12, 21-12.
Bodin and Savitree Amitrapai also booked their place in the second round with a 21-8, 21-15 win over Hafiz Faizal and Shela Devi Aulia of Indonesia.
World No.11 Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk, the only Thai in the men’s singles event, was scheduled to play Hsu Jen Hao of Taiwan in the first round late last night.