Thailand women kept their title hopes in both categories in the singles alive in the Badminton Asia Under-17 & Under-15 Junior Championships when their top seeds marched into the semi-finals.
In the quarter-final matches played at the Mandalar Thiri Multi-Purpose Stadium on Friday night Under-17 top seed Benyapa Aimsaard outplayed Indonesia's Nurani Ratu Azzahra (7th seed) 21-18, 21-14.
In the semi-finals, on Saturday the Thai ace will face Japan's Kaoru Sugiyama who upset fourth seed Huang Yu-shun of Chinese Taipei with a comfortable 21-7, 21-11 win.
In the other quarter-final matches in the Under-17 category, Indonesia's Aisyah Sativa Fatetani defeated Japan's Nana Hisaminato 219, 21-18 but India's hope Aditi Bhatt stopped another Indonesian Saifi Rizka Nurhidayah 20-22, 21-13, 21-14.
India's Tara Shah took Thailand's number one seed in the women's Under-15 category Thamonwan Nithiittikrai the full distance before the Thai prevailed 16-21, 21-15, 21-13.
Thamonwan will face Korea's Kim Ae Lin in the semis. The Korean knocked out another Indian hope Tasnim Mir 21-18, 21-13.
However, the match of the quarter-finals in this category was the one between Indonesia's Deswanti Hujansih Nurtertiati and Thailand's Tidapron Kleebyeesun which lasted a marathon 70 minutes before the Indonesian advanced with a 21-17, 17-21, 22-20.
Deswanti will take on Japan's Hina Akechi who defeated compatriot Maki Kanehiro 21-15, 21-17.
