FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Thai players star in Bangkok as world badminton returns to action after 10 months

Thai players star in Bangkok as world badminton returns to action after 10 months

Thai players enjoyed first-round wins on Tuesday, as the world’s top badminton players returned from a 10-month Covid-19 layoff at the US$1-million Yonex Thailand Open.

Mixed duo Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai recovered from a game down to beat Malaysian rivals, while Busanan Ongbamrungphan cruised to victory in the women’s singles.

The action kicked off a three-week badminton extravaganza at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, where the Thailand Open World Tour Super 1000 from January 12-17 is followed by the $1-million Toyota Thailand Open World Tour Super 1000 (January 19-24) and the $1.5-million HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2020 from January 27-31.

In Tuesday’s action-packed mixed doubles, top seeds Dechpol/Sapsiree tamed upstarts Hoo Pang Ron/Cheah Yee See of Malaysia in three hard-fought games, winning 18-21 21-16 21-15. The Thai world No 3 pairing grabbed a silver medal at the All-England in mid-March last year, the last tournament before world badminton shut down due to the pandemic.

In the women’s singles, world No 12 Busanan outclassed No 49 Sabrina Jaquet of Switzerland 2-0 (21-16, 21-17). Two other Thai women failed at the first hurdle, however, with world No 28 Phittayaporn Chaiwan losing 21-19, 21-14 to No 17 Kim Ga Eun of South Korea, and Benyapa Aimsaard ousted 21-18, 26-24 by Taiwanese top-seed Tai Tzu Ying.

In the men’s doubles, world No 128 Nipitphon Phuangphuapet/Tanupat Viriyangkura lost to 5th seeds and world No 6 Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia) 17-21, 21-16, 22-20. The highly anticipated clash between world No 43 Bodin Isara/Maneepong Jongjit and England’s world No 22 Marcus Ellis/Chris Langridge was due later the same day.

In the women’s doubles, world 34 Chayanit Chaladchalam/Phataimas Muenwong played a thriller against world No 31 Linda Efler/Isabel Herttrich before pulling off a convincing 21-14 25-23 win over the Germans.

In the men’s singles, world No 15 Kantaphon Wangcharoen stunned India’s world No 13 B Sai Praneeth 21-16 21-10, while world No 29 Kunlavut Vitidsarn fought furiously to beat No 80 Luis Enrique Penalver of Spain 21-12, 19-21, 21-16.

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