Maneepong sets course for final

Doubles specialist Maneepong Jongjit is eyeing a place in the final at his home tournament after he and new partner Nipitphon Puangpuapech advanced to the men’s doubles second round of the SCG Thailand Open at the Nimitbutr National Stadium yesterday.

Sixth seed Maneepong, who made his name with former partner Bodin Issara by reaching the London Olympics quarter-finals last year, teamed up with Nipitpong to outclass Poland’s Adam Cwalina and Wacha Przemyslaw 21-18 21-16 in 33 minutes yesterday.

The 22-year-old native of Phuket is now confident of a place on centre court on Sunday for the final.

“With the confidence that we have and the section of the draw we are in, we should be in the final. But that also means I have to avoid bringing my own downfall by playing poorly,” said Maneepong who reached the semi-final here three years ago with Bodin.

“We were sluggish at the beginning [of the first-round match], probably because I went to bed late the night before. But when we found momentum in the second game, we got everything under control,” said the world No 15 doubles player.

Bodin joined his former partner in the second round after teaming up with Pakkawat Vilailak to eliminate Taiwan’s Yen Jui Lin and Chih Hao Wang 21-12 21-19.

Next up for Maneepong/ Nipitphon is Japan’s Takeshi Kamura/ Keigo Sonoda, while Bodin/ Pakkawat face English seventh seeds Chris Adcock and Andrew Ellis. At stake is a place in the quarter-finals.

In the women’s doubles, defending champions and fourth seeds Saralee Thoungthongkam and Narissapat Lam easily picked off Taiwan’s Hsiao Huan Chen and Chia Wen Lai 21-9 21-9 in the first round. Other local winners were Artima Serithammarak and Peeraya Munkitamorn, who beat Jacqueline Guan and Gronya Somerville of Australia 21-9 21-8, Pacharapun Chochuwong/ Chanisa Teachavorasinskun who overcame Patchanut Krajangjit/ Kilasu Ostermeyer 13-21 21-18 21-19 and Porntip Buranaprasertsuk/ Busanan Ongbumrungpan, who beat MeiKuan Chow/ Shevon Jemie Lai 21-17 21-13.

In the women’ s singles first round on Tuesday night, the Kingdom’s No 1 Ratchanok Intanon shoo off the rust to move past persistent Indonesian Maria Febe Kusumastuti 21-14 17-21 21-14. Also advancing in straight sets on the Thai side were third seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, fifth seed Sapsiree Taerattanachai, sixth seed Nichaon Jindapon and seventh seed Busanan Ongbumrungpan.

Top seed Boonsak Ponsana and unfancied Sitthikom Thammasin remained in the tournament after the former trounced Frenchman Lucas Corver 21-8 21-10 and the latter ousted Russian Vladimir Malkov 21-8 21-13.

“I had to play fast as my match started at midnight and I go to bed at 3am. My confidence is high after beating the second seed and I hope to maintain this form,” said 18-year-old Dutch Junior champion Sitthikom. He was due to meet Indonesian 16th seed Andre Kurniawan Tedjono late yesterday in the third round, while Boonsak was to face Malaysian Teck Zhi Soo.

Less fortunate was 2010 Youth Olympics gold medallist Pisit Poodchalat, who was forced to retire with a back injury during the second round after losing the first set to India’s Anand Pawar.