Ratchanok Intanon rolled into the quarter-finals of the US$350,000 India Open in New Delhi Thursday.
Chasing her second Super 500 win in three weeks, the third-seeded Ratchanok eased past Aakarshi Kashyap of India 21-11, 21-12 in just 28 minutes. World No.4 Ratchanok plays seventh seed Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong today for a place in the semi-finals.
Ratchanok kicked off 2018 in style with a win at the Malaysia Masters in her first tournament of the year. She reached the semi-finals at the Indonesia Masters last Saturday.
Fellow Thais Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai reached the last eight of the women's doubles event. The second-seeded pair cruised past Aparna Balan and Sruthi KP of India 21-17, 21-5.
Unseeded Kittipak Dubthuk and Natcha Saenchote also made it through after beating Dong Wenjing and Feng Xueying of China 21-17, 22-20 but No.4 seeds Chayanit Chaladchalom and Phataimas Muenwong exited the tournament after losing to Du Yue and Li Yinhui of China 18-21, 22-24.
Tinn Isriyanet and Kittisak Namdash fell to No.1 seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia 18-21, 26-28, ending Thai interest in the men's doubles event.
Nipitphon Phuangphuapet and Jongkolphan were due to play sixth seeds He Jiting and Du Yue of China in the mixed event late last night.
In other notable women's singles second round results, Caroline Marin fought back to beat Gao Fangjie of China in three games.
The reigning Olympic champion from Spain, who is seeded second this week, dropped the first game 13-21 but rallied to win the next two 21-15, 21-11 in 79 minutes.
Marin next plays sixth seed Cheung Ngan Yi, who brushed aside another Thai hope Thamolwan Poopradubsil 21-4, 21-7.
Fifth seed Zhang Beiwen of the US also made it to the last eight with a 21-12, 21-16 win over Mugdha Agrey of India.
