The third day of the TOYOTA GAZOO RACING Thailand Open 2023 has been marked by good fights in the search for a spot in the highly sought-after quarterfinals.
Unseeded Toma Junior Popov from France delivered a stunning performance by defeating the sixth-seeded Ng Ka Long Angus, Hong Kong, in straight games, 21-17 22-20. Meanwhile, brother Christo Popov came close to joining him in the quarterfinals but narrowly missed out in a thrilling three-game match against Malaysia's Leon Jun Hao, 20-22, 21-13, 21-19.
Carolina Marin continued to make her mark at the Thailand Open. The Spanish powerhouse cruised into the quarterfinals after a commanding victory against India's Ashmita Chaliha, 21-18 21-13. Marin's next challenge awaits in the form of Canada's Michelle Li, who has showcased great performances in the previous rounds by defeating no easy opponents, Pusarla V. Sindhu (India) and Wang Zhi Yi (China).
The Danish duo Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje once again showcased their resilience with another hard-fought victory. They overcame a tough challenge from Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang of Chinese Taipei, winning 20-22, 21-16, 21-15. As they advance to the quarterfinals, Christiansen and Bøje will face Japan's Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsumoto. In their previous encounter in the same tournament back in 2019, the Japanese pair emerged victorious. Can the Danish duo secure a spot in the semifinals?
Other European contenders also made their mark on the court. Sixth-seeded pair Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek have progress to the quarterfinals too, as well as Dane Mia Blichfeldt from Denmark. You can check all results
here.
Matches are still ongoing, watch them on
BWF TV.