Ratchanok labours into Jakarta quarters
Ratchanok Intanon and Kantaphon Wangcharoen reached the quarter-finals of the US$1.25 million Indonesia Open in Jakarta yesterday.
Fourth seed Ratchanok overcame Indonesian hope Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 21-11, 17-21, 21-14 in the women’s singles second round of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament.
Backed by the vocal home crowd at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno, world No.36 Tunjung put on a spirited performance and turned what was expected to be a routine win for the fourth-ranked Ratchanok into a real battle.
Ratchanok, a former world champion, eventually wrapped up the match in 61 minutes and booked her last-eight date with seventh seed Sung Ji-Hyun.
The Korean defeated Michelle Li of Canada 21-11, 21-14 in their second round match.
Kantaphon defeated Dane Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus 21-18, 21-11 to reach the last eight of the men’s singles event.
He will play either Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei or Anders Antonsen of Denmark in the quarters.
Busanan Ongbamrungphan failed to join Ratchanok after she lost to Chinese eighth seed He Bingjiao 15-21, 12-21.
Women’s top seed Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan continued her bid for back-to-back titles, brushing aside Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 21-15, 21-8.
Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai bowed out in the mixed doubles after losing to Ricky Karandasuwardi and Debby Susanto 14-21, 19-21, while the women’s doubles stars Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai also crashed out, losing to Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara of Japan 14-21, 18-21.
Tinn Isriyanet and Kittisak Namdash also lost in the men’s doubles competition.