Pornpawee lone Thai hope in women's singles, faces formidable challenge

After a setback in the second game, world No. 11 Pornpawee bounced back and secured a hard-fought 21-11, 14-21, 21-15 victory to remain the only Thai hope in the women’s singles.

"I found myself more preoccupied with adjusting to the draughts from the air-conditioner rather than focusing solely on playing against my opponent. The challenging part was adapting to the unpredictable direction of the draughts, especially during the second game. However, I was able to regain my composure and momentum to secure victory in the third game,” the Thai No. 2, who had won the Swiss Open earlier this year, said.

The 25-year-old Thai is now set to face a formidable challenge in the form of third-seeded He Bing Jiao of China who advanced to the next round after easily defeating former world No. 1 Saina Nehwal of India, 21-11, 21-14. The Thai player will enter the match as the underdog, considering He Bing Jiao's impressive 10 wins to 2 losses track record against her.

"I acknowledge the need to adapt better to the prevailing conditions. I am determined to showcase my best performance against my next opponent," she said.

Sapsiree Taerattanachai is poised to make a backhand return, watched by Dechapol Puavaranukroh during their second-round match.

In the mixed doubles second round, world No. 3 Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai showcased their exceptional skills as they cruised into their fifth quarter-final of the year. The duo exhibited a dominant performance, defeating Adnan Maulana and Nita Violina Marwah of Indonesia with an impressive score of 21-16, 21-11.

Demonstrating their prowess on the court, the former world No. 1 pair displayed remarkable control at the net and executed seamless teamwork throughout the match. Their synchronised play and impeccable coordination allowed them to secure a resounding victory in less than 60 minutes.

“The first game was a bit close as we played too defensive. It was until the midway of the second game that we started to take the initiative and charged towards the net,” said the Chonburi-born Dechapol who just celebrated his 14th BWF World Tour title with Sapsiree on Sunday in Malaysia.

Looking ahead to the quarter-finals on Friday, they are set to face the formidable sixth-seeded duo of Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek from the Netherlands. "We will collaborate with our coach to develop a strategic game plan against them. Given that this tournament is being held in our home country, we are determined to advance further," Sapsiree said.

Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsaard react after their win.

In women's doubles, fourth-seeded and world No. 9 Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai and world No. 12 Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsaard stormed into the quarter-finals with impressive performances in round two.

The fourth-seeded Jongkolphan and Rawinda trounced Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen of Denmark 21-12, 21-11. Sixth-seeded Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsaard demonstrated their exceptional speed and aggressive style of play to defeat Li Wen Mei and Liu Xuan Xuan from China in a hard-fought battle. After 49 intense minutes, the Thai pair emerged victorious at 21-18, 21-19.

In the biggest upset of the day, dark horse Ng Tze Yong of Malaysia stunned 2019 champion and top seed Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan 23-21, 22-20 in the men’s singles. The 24th-ranked Malaysian managed to clinch the crucial points to ensure his second straight quarter-final appearance in the Kingdom, having reached this stage in the Thailand Masters in January.