Thai badminton hopes lie with Porntip, not Ratchanok

Thailand's Porntip Buranaprasertsuk convincingly won her ticket to the quarter-finals soon after Ratchanok Intanon crashed out of the Olympic badminton tournament, beaten by Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.

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Ratchanok crashes out, Porntip through

Online reporters

RIO DE JANEIRO – In a shocking twist of fate, unheralded Porntip Buranaprasertsuk swept through to the quarter-finals of the women's Olympic badminton tournament as highly-regarded Ratchanok Intanon crashed out early Tuesday (Thailand time).

Porntip won a comprehensive 21-14, 21-16 victory in her match against Ukraine's Marija Ulitina.

Her win came 30 minutes after the stunning victory in straight sets by Japan's world No.10 Akane Yamaguchi over No.2 Ratchanok.

The defeat in the round of 16 ended Ratchanok's Rio 2016 Olympic medal dreams even before she reached the quarter-finals.

Japan's Akane Yamaguchi (L) played well throughout, defeating Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon in straight sets 21-19, 21-16. / AFP PHOTO / Jim WATSON

Ratchanok never had her game together against the Japanese challenger, who was clearly better on the day.

She dropped the first set to Yamaguchi by 19-21, and lost the second by 16-21.

Photographed moments after the match ended, the Thai appeared in shock and near tears from her loss. Before she left for Rio on Aug 1, she promised to return with a medal.

Porntip is an experienced player, who won her first international tournament in 2008 in Japan.

She has no easy road to a medal. She next faces world No.3 Li Xuerui of China, the defending Olympic champion and often described as the world's best women's badminton player.

Li won a bye and did not play in the round of 16. A final schedule is pending, but they will play on Wednesday evening, Thailand time.

The two 25-year-olds faced each other in April at the China Masters, with Li coming out ahead, 21-14, 22-20

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