NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- World No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn led Thailand to a 3-0 victory over Macao, China, while South Korea defeated Hong Kong, China 3-1 to reach the men's team badminton quarterfinals at the Asian Games on Monday.
South Korea took the lead when Yu Tae-bin rallied from a game down to beat Hong Kong, China's Lee Cheuk Yiu 18-21, 21-16, 22-20 in the men's singles opener. World No. 1 men's doubles pair Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae then defeated Deng Chi Fai and Hung Kuei Chun 21-9, 21-10 to put South Korea 2-0 ahead.
"Honestly, playing against the world No. 1 is like playing against a wall. Their defense is unbreakable. It's really impressive," Hung said after the game.
Jason Gunawan beat Park Sang-yong 21-18, 21-17 to pull one back for Hong Kong, China, before Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju defeated Chan Yin Chak and Lui Chun Wai 18-21, 22-20, 21-18 to seal South Korea's victory.
Thailand also reached the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Macao, China. 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kunlavut Vitidsarn edged Pui Pang Fong 21-19, 20-22, 21-10 in a three-game thriller, before Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul extended Thailand's lead with a 21-8, 21-7 victory over Pui Chi Chon. Puritat Arree then sealed the win by beating Leong Iok Chong 21-14, 21-12.
"I just try my best and do everything to be the best on the court, because right now I feel like I cannot play my best. When I play, it's pressure, always pressure. So sometimes I make an easy mistake or give my opponent an easy point," said the former world No. 1, who is still seeking his first Asian Games medal.
The other three quarterfinals also ended in 3-0 sweeps, with Malaysia beating Mongolia, Japan defeating Kazakhstan and India overcoming Bangladesh. ■
