Busanan reaches second round
Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan got off to a winning start at the Thailand Open at Bangkok’s Nimibutr Stadium yesterday.
The fourth seed had few problems in her 21-8, 21-9 win over Indonesia’s Rusydina Antardayu Riodingin in a women’s singles first round match of the Grand Prix Gold tournament.
The 21-year-old from Nonthaburi is hoping to win her first Thailand Open title after losing in the final last year.
Fifth seed Nitchaon Jindapol beat Yvonne Li of Germany 22-20, 21-16, sixth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong defeated compatriot Chananchida Jucharoen 21-9, 21-12, and third seed Zhang Beiwen of Malaysia finished off Airi Mikkela of Finland 21-4, 21-11.
In the men’s singles second round, second seed Marc Zwiebler of Germany beat India’s Kashyap Palupalli 21-14, 21-18.
On Tuesday night, top seed Tanongsak Saenbomboonsuk began his defence of the men’s title with a 21-16, 21-12 win over Matej Hlinican of Slovakia.
The winners of the Thailand Open will receive trophies graciously donated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
The tournament will be upgraded to a top-tier Superseries next year.
Meanwhile, former world No.2 Kento Momota, whose ban for illegal gambling was lifted earlier this month, will return to international competition in July, Kyodo reported.
The 22-year-old has entered the Canada Open and the US Open with the permission of the Japan Badminton Association.
“We have given him special permission because of his track record and his potential,” said Yoshinori Uematsu, the association’s director in charge of development.
Momota marked his comeback to the domestic scene by winning the men’s singles title at a Japan ranking circuit tournament in Saitama earlier yesterday.
In a bid to regain his standing on the national tour, Momota beat 53rd-ranked Takuma Ueda 2-1 in the final in his first competition since his suspension was lifted on May 15.
Momota was a medal hope at last year’s Rio Olympics but was banned indefinitely by the JBA in April just a few months before the Games for gambling at an illegal casino in Japan.
His appearance at the Saitama meet was his first since taking part in the Malaysia Open in April last year.