Ratchanok to face Danish giantkiller in quarter-finals

Ratchanok Intanon and mixed doubles stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai moved into the quarter-finals of the US$360,000 GR Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand Open.

Seventh seed Ratchanok defeated Wang Zhiyi 21-13, 21-15 to set up a lasteight clash against Line Christophersen of Denmark at Muang Thong Thani’s Impact Arena in Nonthaburi.

The Dane survived a tough test against Malvika Bansod of India, prevailing in three games 16-21, 21-14, 21-14.

Christophersen stunned fourth seed An Se-Young of South Korea in the first round on Wednesday.

Mixed doubles top seeds Dechapol and Sapsiree beat Lee Jhe-Huei and Hsu Ya Ching of Taiwan 21-15, 21-19 and will play Kyohei Yamashita and Naru Shinoya of Japan in today’s quarters.

Fellow Thais Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran also progressed to the last eight after they beat Jones Ralfy Jansen and Linda Efler of Germany 21-17, 18-21, 21-16.

They face China’s Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping in the last eight.

Meanwhile women’s singles top seed Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan beat Ruselli Hartawan 21-15, 21-14. The Taiwanese star next faces Chinese eighth seed He Bingjiao, who defeated Fitriani Fitriani of Indonesia 21-12, 21-6.

Third seed Chen Yufei of China faces Michelle Li of Canada after both players survived three-game battles in the last 16 yesterday.

Second seed Akane Yamaguchi also advanced to the last eight but the Japanese star needed to fight back against unseeded Kim Ga-Eun of South Korea to win 21-23, 21-15, 21-16.

Yamaguchi next faces sixth seed Pusarla V Sindhu after the Indian star defeated Sim Yu-Jin of South Korea 21-16, 21-13.

China’s Li Shifeng became the first player to make it to the men’s singles quarter-finals after he beat Tommy Sugiarto 22-20, 13-21, 21-18.