Boonsak and Ratchanok into last four

Boonsak and Ratchanok into last four

World No.2 Nehwal slumps to shock defeat against Gu and Busanan sees off compatriot Porntip

Local hopes Boonsak Ponsana and Ratchanok Intanon are on course to win the titles at the SCG Thailand Open with both booking semi-final places last night.

Top-seeded Boonsak Ponsana during his 2-1 win over Rajiv Ouseph.

In the quarter-finals, men's top seed Boonsak beat England's Rajiv Ouseph 21-15, 21-23, 21-12 while women's second seed Ratchanok beat compatriot Nichaon Jindapon 21-16, 21-18.

World No.7 Boonsak needed 62 minutes to finish off Ouseph in the US$120,000 event at Nimibutr Gymnasium.

Having claimed the first set, the 31-year-old should have easily won the match when he led 20-14 in the second set. But the sixth-seeded Englishman fought back spiritedly to win 23-21. However, Boonsak, who won the 2004 Thailand Open, regrouped to win the deciding set 21-12.

Boonsak said he hopes to win his second Thailand Open crown to boost his confidence before contesting next week's US$650,000 Indonesia Open and the US$200,000 Singapore Open the following week.

In the semi-finals, Boonsak will meet world No.60 Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo of Indonesia, who defeated HS Prannoy of India 21-12, 21-19.

Thai teenager Sitthikom Thammasin continued his impressive run with a 21-17, 21-12 win over Taiwan's Hsu Jen-hao in the quarter-finals. The 17-year-old Thai, who beat second seed Tommy Sugiarto in the first round, had few problems against the world No.33.

Sitthikom will next meet K Srikanth of India in the last four after the 13th seed beat Son Wan Ho of South Korea 21-17, 21-18 in the quarter-finals.

In the women's singles, Ratchanok will meet Hsiao Ma Pai, the fourth seed, for a place in the final after the fourth seed fought back for a 2-1 win over fifth seed Sapsiree Taerattanachai.

World No.5 Ratchanok is 2-0 against world No.19 Hsiao with the Thai winning 21-14, 21-16 in their recent meeting at the Swiss Open in March.

Ratchanok's path to her maiden triumph at her national Open looks smoother after top seed and world No.2 Saina Nehwal suffered a shock loss in the quarter-finals.

Nehwal, who beat Ratchanok in last year's final, won the first set 21-13 against Gu Juan but the 23-year-old Singaporean took the next two sets 21-12, 21-18.

Ranked 23rd in the world, Chinese-born Gu will face Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungpan, who saw off compatriot and third seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 21-14, 17-21, 21-17.

Gu is 1-2 against world No.22 Busanan with Gu winning in the semi-finals in Malaysia last month.

In the women's doubles, top seeds Duanganong Arookesorn and Kunchala Voravichitchakul lost to eighth seeds Nitya Maheswari and Grysia Polii of Indonesia 21-17, 21-13 in the quarter-finals.

Reigning champions Saralee Thoungthongkam and Narissapat Lam were defeated by Thailand's Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree in the second round on Thursday.

Today's semi-finals begin at 11am and the tournament ends tomorrow.

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