PARIS - Kunlavut “View” Vitidsarn is Thailand’s last remaining Olympic medal hope in badminton, after upsetting world number one Shi Yuqi of China 21-12, 21-10 in their men’s singles quarter-final match on Friday.
The defending world champion, currently ranked eighth in the world, took just 44 minutes to win in straight sets. He will face seventh-ranked Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia on Sunday afternoon Thailand time.
Kunlavut’s compatriot Ratchanok Intanon, currently ranked 21st in the world and competing in her fourth Olympics, had also been hoping to advance. But she suffered a straight-sets defeat (25-23, 21-9) to eighth-ranked Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia in their women’s singles quarter-final on Saturday. (Story continues below)
Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand (left) congratulates victorious Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia after their women’s singles quarter-final at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Saturday. Ratchanok, 29, was appearing in her fourth Olympics. (Photo: Reuters)
In the other men's singles matches on Friday, Lee Zii Jia defeated fourth-ranked Anders Antonsen of Denmark 21-17 21-15 an absorbingly hypnotic match on Friday with their smashes resulting in the use of more than 30 shuttlecocks.
Fellow Dane Viktor Axelsen, the reigning men’s singles champion and world number two, avenged his compatriot’s defeat when he took down Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 21-9 21-17.
Axelsen will face India’s Lakshya Sen of India, who clinched a 19-21 21-15 21-12 win over Taiwan’s former world number two Chou Tien-Chen, in the other men’s semi-final.
“This is something I’ve never dreamt of,” said Sen, India’s last hope of badminton glory in Paris.
“The real test starts here. It’s now the time to go back, recover and be ready for the next match.”
In the mixed doubles gold medal match, China’s Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong demolished South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun 21-8 21-11 to triumph at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
Surrounded by a sea of red Chinese flags in the crowd, Zheng knelt on the court and screamed with his arms outstretched as Yaqiong collapsed to the floor before running into her coach’s arms as they celebrated victory to the sound of the crowd’s rhythmic roars of “jiayou”, a cry of support in Chinese.
“Three years ago we lost in the final and since then we’ve been preparing for today,” said Zheng, who won a silver medal with Huang in Tokyo.
“Compared to Tokyo where we were hard working, this time we played smarter.”
Japan’s Arisa Higashino and Yuta Watanabe took the bronze by beating South Korea’s Chae Yu-jung and Seo Seung-jae 21-13 22-20.
China dominates badminton and has won 20 gold medals since it became an Olympic sport.
In the men’s doubles semi-finals, Taiwan’s Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang overcame Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen 18-21 21-17 21-10 to make the final on Sunday.
Malaysian women’s doubles pair Thinaah Muralitharan and Pearly Tan, ranked 12th in the world, made tournament favourites China’s Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan work hard for victory in their semi-final.
The Chinese duo won 21-12 18-21 21-15, but their opponents went further in the tournament than any other Malaysian women’s pair in Olympic history.
“We just wanted to enjoy every moment that we had on court. So I think that’s one thing that we won’t regret,” Muralitharan said.
“They (Chen and Jia) are mentally really strong. That’s why they are number one, and I think this is what we still need to learn from them.”
China’s Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning beat Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-16 21-19 and the Japanese pair will face the Malaysians in Saturday’s battle for bronze.
