Taiwan’s world No. 7 duo yesterday eased past the US’ world No. 37 pairing at the Toyota Thailand Open to reach the round-of-16 in Bangkok.
Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin beat Phillip Chew and Ryan Chew 21-14, 21-11 in just 24 minutes.
Lee and Wang, who won the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Thailand Open on Sunday, next face the world No. 34 pairing, Canada’s Jason Anthony Ho-Shue and Nyl Yakura.
Photo: AFP / Badminton Association of Thailand
In men’s singles, Taiwan’s world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen again beat Thailand’s world No. 45 Suppanyu Avihingsanon, after edging past the Thai player in the opening round of the Yonex tournament.
The Taiwanese shuttler wrapped up the game in a leisurely 36 minutes 21-16, 21-4.
“I think I am more relaxed than last week,” Chou told reporters. “I feel I am more in control of how I want to play and I feel that is working. I felt less nervous. I came mentally prepared today.”
Taiwan’s world No. 12 Wang Tzu-wei edged past South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee. After trailing 16-18, Wang won the first game 21-18, and led all the way in the second game to finish 21-12.
Wang next faces Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka-long, who ousted him from the Yonex tournament in the round-of-16 and defeated Chou in the semi-finals.
Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie was knocked out of the tournament in a high-intensity upset against India’s H.S. Prannoy.
Christie started out strong in the three-game marathon against the world No. 28, claiming the first game 21-18, before Prannoy fired back in the second 21-16.
The two players showed flashes of brilliance and sloppiness in the topsy-turvy deciding game.
Christie gave away two match points and right at the tail end, Prannoy dislocated his left shoulder and needed medical attention.
However, within minutes, he marched back on court to win the game 23-21.
A disappointed Christie acknowledged that he wasted several opportunities to win.
“The first game, I controlled it. In the second, I think I made some mistakes. In the third I was leading, but I think it wasn’t good today,” he said. “Congratulations to Prannoy.”
Meanwhile, India’s world No. 13 Sai Praneeth has tested positive for COVID-19, the Badminton World Federation said on Tuesday.
Sai was forced to withdraw from this week’s tournament after his nasal swab returned positive, the federation said.
“The player has been taken to hospital for further observation and testing, and is required to stay in hospital for a minimum of 10 days,” it added.
Sai’s hotel quarantine roommate, Kidambi Srikanth, has also been forced to withdraw from the tournament and is in self-isolation.
Kidambi tested negative on Monday and has returned negative results since arriving in Thailand.
The withdrawal will come as another blow to 14th-ranked Kidambi, who was forced to pull out of last week’s tournament because of a calf-muscle strain.
Additional reporting by AFP
‘ESCAPE FROM JUSTICE’: A US gymnast who trained under Geddert for more than 10 years and was assaulted by Larry Nassar called his suicide ‘an admission of guilt’ A former US Olympics gymnastics coach with ties to disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar on Thursday killed himself, hours after being charged with turning his Michigan gym into a hub of human trafficking by coercing girls to train and then abusing them. John Geddert faced 24 charges that could have carried years in prison had he been convicted. He was supposed to appear in an Eaton County court, near Lansing, Michigan, but his body was found at a rest area along Interstate 96, state police said. “This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved,” Michigan Attorney General Dana
Constructing intricate models with Lego has become an important part of preparation for French Open champion Iga Swiatek and the 19-year-old Pole is confident her game is shaping up for success on all kinds of surfaces. The 19-year-old Pole last year became the youngest woman to win the Roland Garros title since Monica Seles in 1992 and on Saturday she picked up the second trophy of her career at the Adelaide International. Swiatek has often attributed her success to her sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who has helped the Polish player improve her mental strength and process her thoughts during intense matches. Work on
BARTY PARTY OVER: After crashing out on Wednesday, Ashleigh Barty pulled out of the Qatar Open with a left leg injury, and hit back at Australians’ unrealistic expectations Coco Gauff and Jil Teichmann yesterday advanced to the Adelaide International semi-finals after three-set wins on the Memorial Drive hard courts. The 16-year-old Gauff beat Shelby Rogers 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, and Teichmann defeated Anastasija Sevastova 6-4 ,6-7 (8/10), 7-5. Gauff has won five straight matches in Adelaide, including two in qualifying, since her second-round loss to fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open. She and Rogers had an extended rally in the ninth game of the third set, which Gauff won after setting up game point with a cross-court return. Gauff next faces second-seeded Belinda Bencic, who beat Storm Sanders 6-2, 6-4. Teichmann had five
RUTHLESS FORM: The 19-year-old Iga Swiatek downed world No. 12 Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-2 to claim the second title of her career, after winning Roland Garros last year French Open champion Iga Swiatek yesterday crushed world No. 12 Belinda Bencic in straight sets to claim the Adelaide International at Memorial Drive. The 19-year-old Pole was in ruthless form as she downed Bencic 6-2, 6-2 to claim the second title of her career. Swiatek burst onto the tennis scene at Roland Garros last year when she claimed the French Open crown, defeating then world No. 6 Sofia Kenin in the final. She started strongly against Bencic and never eased up, breaking her Swiss opponent twice in each set to wrap up a comfortable win. Both players were untroubled, holding their opening service games