Mixed doubles pair reach India final

Dechapol and Sapsiree to face Chinese badminton duo on Sunday in New Delhi

Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai recovered from a first-set loss to play their way into the finals of the BWF India Open in New Delhi on Saturday.

The Thai badminton mixed doubles duo overcame Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin of Taiwan, 18-21, 21-15, 21-19 to advance, in a match that lasted 74 minutes.

Sunday’s final will feature the sixth-seeded Thais against fifth-seeded Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin of China, who defeated Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun of South Korea 21-19, 21-18 on Saturday.

Dechapol and Sapsiree are the last Thais standing in the tournament. World champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn’s title defence ended in the last 16 after he lost his men’s singles match to Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong earlier in the week.

Women’s singles star and 2022 winner Busanan Ongbamrungphan bowed out in the quarter-finals to Wang Zhiyi of China.