Kunshan: An emphatic 5-0 victory over Bulgaria assured Thailand of a place in the Uber Cup quarter-finals yesterday.
Thai star Ratchanok Intanon.
The Thai women's team, spearheaded by world No.2 Ratchanok Intanon, meet Indonesia in an encounter which will decide the winners of Group C today.
Hong Kong and Bulgaria are third and fourth in the group respectively. Both have yet to win a match in the tournament and have been eliminated.
The Thai men, who edged India 3-2 in their Thomas Cup opener, play their second Group B match against Indonesia today.
Ratchanok's tendency of taking time in gathering steam and the dip in her form since her historic feat of winning three Superseries events in a row last month was once again exposed yesterday.
The Thai ace kept pace with Bulgaria's No.40-ranked Linda Zetchiri until the score reached 12-12 but then lagged behind her rival to concede the first set 17-21.
She recovered in the second set to claim it 21-14 and level the singles match-up. After trading punches in the third, Ratchanok gained control with a five-point run to grab an 11-6 lead and dominated the rest of the set for a 21-15 victory.
Busanan Ongbumrungphan beat Petya Nedelcheva 21-10, 21-15 with ease and Nitchaon Jindapol took only 36 minutes to dispose off Mariya Mitsova 21-19, 21-19.
The Thai pair of Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai beat Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva 21-11, 21-16, and Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai routed Mitsova and Nedelcheva 21-9, 21-9 in just 26 minutes.
Both competitions feature 16 teams divided into four groups, with the top two in each qualifying for the quarter-finals.