Kunlavut Vitidsarn's charge towards his third Thailand Open crown continued on Thursday after the world No.2 booked his berth in the men's singles quarter-finals of the Super 500 tournament.
The defending champion put on another impressive display to dispatch Taiwan's Lee Chia-hao 21-11, 21-13 in 40 minutes at Nimibutr Stadium. He will next face seventh seed Lakshya Sen of India.
Kunlavut, who also won the tournament in 2023, is chasing his ninth World Tour title. The Thai star, who turned 25 on Monday, won the season-opening Malaysia Open for his maiden Super 1000 event.
Rising star Pitchamon Opatniputh joined Kunlavut in the quarter-finals of the US$500,000 tournament.
The 19-year-old former world junior champion upset former champion Supanida Katethong in the first round and maintained her fine form yesterday as she defeated Devika Sihag of India 23-21, 21-11 to advance.
She will face another senior compatriot Pornpawee Chochuwong, who knocked out Thai Yataweemin Ketklieng 21-13, 21-17, in the quarters.
Pitchamon has had a good start to the season, twice reaching the finals at the Indonesia Masters (Super 500) and the Orleans Masters (Super 300).
Another Thai hope Busanan Ongbamrungphan failed to make it through, losing to top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in three games, 12-21, 21-17, 17-21.
Yamaguchi will play Pusarla V Sindhu of India in the last eight.
Ratchanok Intanon became the third Thai player to reach the quarters of the women's singles after the third seed edged Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan of Indonesia 21-16, 19-21, 21-15.
In other men's singles results, top seed Shi Yuqi of China cruised through with a 21-16, 21-11 win over Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong and will next face Japan's Koki Watanabe, who upset sixth-seeded compatriot Kodai Naraoka 21-14, 14-21, 21-15, while third seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark defeated Yushi Tanaka of Japan 21-13, 18-21, 22-20 to set up a clash with Su Li-yang of Taiwan.
