Thai players booked two semi-final places at the BWF World Championships in Tokyo following impressive quarter-final wins by men's singles star Kunlavut Vitidsarn and women's doubles duo Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Puttita Supajirakul on Friday.
Kunlavut, the 16th seed, upset defending champion and eighth seed Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 21-12, 17-21, 21-8 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Sapsiree and Puttita, the No.14 seeds, came from behind to defeat 11th seeds Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu of China 15-21, 21-18, 22-20.
The Thai trio are assured of bronze medals after reaching the semi-finals.
"Popor" Sapsiree and "Earth" Puttita are Thailand's first women's doubles pair to get a world championship medal.
Sapsiree also became the first Thai shuttler to claim three medals at the world championships.
The 30-year-old won gold last year and silver in 2019 with Dechapol Puavaranukroh in the mixed doubles.
In today's men's singles semi-finals, Kunlavut, nicknamed "View," faces China's Zhao Junpeng, who defeated India's Prannoy HS 19-21, 21-6, 21-18.
In the other last four match, top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark takes on Taiwan's fourth seed Chou Tien-chen.
Kunlavut, a three-time world junior champion, said Loh had made "some easy mistakes" in their match.
"This week I go step-by-step because it's a big tournament with many top players and very difficult to play," said the 21-year-old.
"I don't think too much because if I think too much I have pressure in the game. I want to learn about the top players."
Loh said he had felt "no pressure" trying to defend his crown after winning the title last year.
"This week was fine," said the 25-year-old, who said he struggled to cope with the drift inside Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
"I just tried my best to fight for every point and that was all that matters."
The Singaporean said he would try to "improve everything" about his game after losing his title.
"Everything I am good at, I need to become better. Whatever I'm not so good at, I need to improve that as well," he said.
"My goal is to do my best in every match and to become better every day."
In Saturday's semi-finals of the women's doubles competition, Sapsiree and Puttita meets fourth seeds Kim So-Yeong and Kong Hee-Yong from South Korea who beat fifth seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida of Japan 21-16, 21-15.
In another women's doubles quarter-final, Thailand's seventh seeds Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai lost to China's top seeds Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan 21-16, 21-7.
The Chinese pair will next face Japan's Wakana Nagahara and Mayu Matsumoto, the sixth seeds, who saw off South Korea's third seeds Lee So-Hee and Shin Seung-Chan 21-13, 19-21, 21-12.
In the women's singles quarter-finals on Friday, Thailand's 12th seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan was no match for Taiwan's second seed Tai Tzu-ying, who won 21-16, 21-9.
Top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan moved a step closer to retaining her crown with a 21-17, 21-17 victory against Spain's fifth seed Carolina Marin.
Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China defeated Michelle Li of Canada 21-18, 21-17. South Korean third seed An Se-Young beat China's Han Yue 21-14, 15-21, 22-20. bangkok post/afp