Ratchanok thrills on a good day for Thais
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Ratchanok thrills on a good day for Thais

Ratchanok Intanon hits a return to Hsu Wen-chi during their first round match. (Photo: AFP)
Ratchanok Intanon hits a return to Hsu Wen-chi during their first round match. (Photo: AFP)

Ratchanok Intanon and Supanida Katethong set up an all Thai clash in the last 16 of the US$850,000 BWF Japan Open on Thursday while compatriot Kunlavut Vitidsarn also came through his opening match at the World Tour Super 750 event in Tokyo.

The trio were joined by mixed doubles stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Aimsaard sisters who won their women's doubles opener on Wednesday.

Sixth seed Ratchanok eased past Hsu Wen-chi of Taiwan 21-9, 21-13 while Supanida, who won the US Open a couple of weeks ago, defeated Saena Kawakami of Japan 22-20, 21-17 in the women's singles.

Men's third seed Kunlavut defeated Wang Tzu-wei of Taiwan 21-5, 21-16 and will play Kenta Nishimoto of Japan for a place in the quarter-finals.

Easy win for mixed duo

Mixed doubles second seeds Dechapol and Sapsiree defeated Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje of Denmark 21-15, 21-18.

They will play either Kyohei Yamashita and Naru Shinoya of Japan or Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Widjaja of Indonesia in the last 16.

Women's doubles duo Benyapa and Nuntakarn overcame a slow start to get the better Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu of Australia 14-21, 21-8, 21-2 on Wednesday.

They will play fourth seeds Kim So-Yeon and Kong Hee-Yong of South Korea in the last 16 on Thursday.

Kim and Kong defeated Japan's Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-15, 21-12.

In other results, women's second seed An Se-Young of South Korea continued her hot run of form with another impressive win.

The Korean rising star breezed past Germany's Yvonne Li 21-11, 21-7 and will play Aya Ohori of Japan in the last 16 on Thursday.

Fourth seed Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan also progressed.

The Taiwanese star defeated Zhang Wenyu of Canada 21-15, 21-6 without any trouble.

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