Double joy for Thailand on the opening day
KUNSHAN (China): Fourth seeds Thailand, powered by former world No 1 Ratchanok Intanon, got off to a roaring start to their Uber Cup campaign with an easy 4-1 win over Hong Kong in their opening Group C match in here on Sunday.
And it was double joy for the Thais when their men's team edged India 3-2 in their opening Group B match. The other teams in the group are Indonesia and Hong Kong.
Ratchanok, a three-time world junior and the 2013 world champion strolled to an easy 21-18, 21-15 win in her singles match against Yip Pui Yin to give Thailand the first point. Thailand also won the first doubles through Puttita Supajirakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai who made short-work of Tsz Ying Suet-Yuen Sin Ying 21-16, 21-18 for a 2-0 lead.
However, Thailand's second singles Busanan Ongbumrungphan suffered a shock straight set 21-14, 21-13 defeat to Cheung Ngan Yi and Hong Kong were back in the picture.
But that was as far as Hong Kong went as the Thais collected their next two points through Jongklophan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjal (second doubles) and Nitchaon Jindapol (third singles for a 4-1 win.
In another Group C match, Indonesia strolled past Bulgaria with a 5-0 whitewash and are expected to battle it out with Thailand for the top two places in the group and advance to the knockout stage.
Thailand's Thomas Cup team, however, were made to struggle by the Indians who came to Kunshan without their top singles player K. Srikanth, who is focused on doing well in the Rio Olympics in August.
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk won Thailand's first point with a hard fought 21-16, 12-21, 21-14 win in the first singles. Bodin Issara-Nipitphon Puangpuapech snuffed out India's No 1 pair Manu Attri-B. Sumeeth Reddy 21-17, 21-6 and it turned the tide in Thailand's favour.
After India's B. Sai Praneeth gave India a glimmer of hope by winning the second singles against Khosit Phetpradap 21-11, 21-16 it was all over for the Indians when their second doubles Akshay Dewalkar-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy fell to Thailands Puavaranukroh Dechapol-Kedren Kittinupong 21-15, 14-21, 21-15.
In a Group C match South Korea steamrolled Germany 5-0.
THOMAS CUP RESULTS
GROUP B
Thailand beat India 3-2
Singles
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk beat Ajay Jayaram 21-16, 12-21, 21-14
Khosit Phetpradab lost to B. Sai Praneeth 11-21, 16-21
Adulrach Namkul lost to Sourabh Varma 17-21, 21-16, 19-21
Doubles
Bodin Issara-Nipitphon Puangpuapech beat Manu Attri-B. Sumeeth Reddy 21-17, 21-6
Puavaranukroh Dechapol-Kedren Kitinupong beat Akshat Dewalkar-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy 21-15, 14-21, 21-15
GROUP C
South Korea beat Germany 5-0
Singles
Son Wan-ho beat Marc Zwiebler 21-13, 21-9
Jeon Hyeok-jin beat Kai Schaefer 21-9, 21-18
Heo Kwang-hee beat Lars Schaenzler 21-10, 21-18
Doubles
Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang beat Fabian Holzer-Johannes Pistorius 21-6, 21-7
Ko Sung-hyun-Shin Baek-cheol beat Mark Lamsfuss-Josche Zurwonne 21-16, 21-13
UBER CUP
GROUP C
Thailand beat Hong Kong 4-1
Singles
Ratchanok Intanon beat Yip Pui Yin 21-18, 21-15
Busanan Ongbumrungphan lost to Cheung Ngan Yi 14-21, 13-21
Nitchaon Jindapol beat Cheung Ying Mei 21-11, 21-14
Doubles
Puttita Supajirakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai beat Tze Ying Suet-Yuen Sin Ying 21-16, 21-18
Jongkolphan Kititharakul Prajongjal beat Ng Tsz Yau-Yeung Nga Ting 21-7, 21-17
GROUP C
Indonesia beat Bulgaria 5-0
Singles
Maria Febe Kusumastuti beat Linda Zetchiri 21-12, 24-22
Fitriani Fitriani beat Petya Nedchelva 21-9, 21-15
Hana Ramadhini beat Mariya Mistsova 21-17, 21-16
Doubles
Anggia Shitty Awanada-Mahadewi Istirani Ni Ketut beat Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva 21-16, 15-21, 21-18
Della Destiara Haris-Rosyita Eka Putri Sari beat Mariya Mitsova-Petya Nedchelva 21-9, 21-11
