PARIS - Two upsets and several close calls defined the fifth day of Olympic badminton group play at the Paris Games, most surprisingly when Thailand’s world Number 21 Ratchanok Intanon knocked Tokyo silver medallist Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan out of the tournament on Wednesday.
Tai, who has played with both knees in braces in Paris, had previously opened up about an issue with her left knee and earlier this year withdrew from the Singapore Open.
Ratchanok, who at age 29 is playing in her fourth Olympics, defeated her longtime rival in straight sets, 21-19, 21-15.
“Before I came here I knew I would find it hard to play the game because of my injury,” Tai, 30, who plans to retire at the end of 2024, said through tears. “I still tried my best.”
Thailand’s number eight seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the defending world champion, also went through to the quarter-finals when his Finnish opponent Kalle Koljonen retired from the match.
Two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan came close to being defeated in the final round of group play by Canada’s world number 31 Michelle Li in a day of close shaves in the women’s singles at Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
Yamaguchi, ranked fifth, eked out a 22-24 21-17 21-12 victory through sheer stamina, as Li tired in the third game, losing four points toward the end in quick succession.
The 27-year-old Yamaguchi, who suffered a hip injury in March, said she had felt no pain on Wednesday but that her long layoff meant she was not 100% confident.
World number 17 Kim Ga-eun of South Korea also looked to be in trouble against Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei, who ranks 15 places below her, until she rallied at the very end of the third game.
Kim skidded across the court on her knees to reach some shots and pull of a 21-17 20-22 23-21 victory.
In men’s singles, world number 22 Lakshya Sen of India produced some skilful returns to defeat Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, who ranks fourth, 21-18 21-12.
“Really tough match today,” Sen said, adding that he was excited for the round of 16. “I’m really pumped up to fight every match.”
The final four teams of the men’s doubles ‘group of death’ — decorated duos from Denmark, Taiwan, China and Japan who all found themselves in the same group — squared off on courts next to one another.
Former European Games champions Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen smashed their way to the round of 16 after defeating Japan’s former world champions Hoki Takuro and Kobayashi Yugo 21-19 22-21.
To roars of “Taiwan” from spectators, the country’s reigning Olympic champions Wang Chi-Lin and Lee Yang won against Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Liu Yuchen of China and his partner Ou Xuanyi, 21-17 17-21 22-24.
The Chinese duo played the third game knowing they did not have the points to make it into the next stage of the tournament after Denmark beat Japan
