Mixed pair keeps Thai flag flying
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Mixed pair keeps Thai flag flying

Mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in action during Thursday's match in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo supplied)
Mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in action during Thursday's match in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo supplied)

Mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai progressed to the quarter-finals of the season-opening BWF Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

However world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Ratchanok Intanon both bowed out in the last 16 of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 event on Thursday.

Sixth seeds Dechapol and Sapsiree defeated Malaysia's Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai 21-15, 21-12 to set up a clash with Hee Yong Kai and Tan Wei Han in today's quarters.

The Singaporean pair defeated another Thai mixed doubles hopes Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran 21-14, 23-21.

Fifth seed Kunlavut was beaten by Lin Chun-yi 18-21, 16-21. The Taiwanese also knocked out another Thai player Kantaphon Wangcharoen in the first round.

Meanwhile Ratchanok's comeback attempt ended in just her second match after the Thai star lost to China's second seed Chen Yufei 15-21, 18-21.

There was no Thai left in the women's singles event after Busanan Ongbamrungphan also crashed out, losing to fourth seed Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan 7-21, 11-21 in just 34 minutes.

Women's defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan safely moved into the last eight on Thursday.

Third seed Yamaguchi, who returned to action after the longest lay-off of her career, cruised past Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-9, 21-14.

The Japanese world No.3 was injured during the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September last year.

In the other results on Thursday, men's top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark battled past Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong 21-17, 21-20-22, 24-22, seventh seed Shi Yuqi of China defeated Toma Junior Popov of France 21-13, 21-15 and Anders Antonsen of Denmark beat Koki Watanabe of Japan 21-14, 21-17.

Olympic champion Axelsen is looking to win the tournament for the third consecutive year.

In the women's singles event, top seed An Se-Young of South Korea eased past Yvonne Li of Germany 21-13, 21-8, seventh seed Gregoria Tunjung of Indonesia denied Goh Jin Wei of Malaysia 21-15, 24-22 and He Bingjiao edged Wang Zhiyi 16-21, 21-19, 21-11 in an all-Chinese clash.

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