Three Thai duos shuttle into quarter-finals

However, youngsters Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk and Ratchanok Inthanon crashed out in the first round of the event.

 World No 37 Tanongsak, who won a silver at the SEA Games, went down to world No 15 and sixth seeded Lee Hyun Il from South Korea 21-14 21-17. Three-time world junior champion Ratchanok lost to China’s Li Han 21-12 21-12.

Salakjit Ponsana lost to third seed Shao Chieh Cheng of Taiwan 17-21 21-10 21-9 in 37 minutes in the women’s singles second round while her compatriot and sixth seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk went down to Japan’s Ai Goto 21-15 21-17. In the men’s doubles event, Patipat Chalardchaleam and Nipitphon Puangpuapech succumbed to Indonesian fourth seeds Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan 21-9 21-14 in 24 minutes.

In the mixed doubles second round, Thai fourth seeds Songphon Anugritayawan and Savitree Amitapai were sent packing by Taiwan’s Liao Min Chun and Chen Hsiao Huan 21-17 21-18.

Lifting the gloom for Thailand were third seeds Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkham, who outclassed Hong Kong’s Wong Wai Hong and Chau Hoi Wah 21-16 21-16. They next take on Maneepong Jongjit and Savitree Amitapai, who ran out 21-7 21-12 winners against Canada’s Adrian Liu and Joycelyn Ko. The two Thai pairs have never played each other before in an international competition.

Also advancing in the women’s doubles were Duananong Aroonkesorn and Kunchala Voravichitchaikul, who thrashed Australia’s Leanne Choo and Renuga Veeran 21-18 21-15. The Thai duo today go up against the winners of the match between the Netherland’s Lotte Jonathans and Paulien van Dooremalen and Japanese second seeds Miyuki Maeda and Satoko Suetsuna.