Kunlavut Vitidsarn is back.
The former men’s singles badminton world champion from Thailand appears to be over a torn back muscle he suffered in May as the world No. 2 eased into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open on Thursday (16 July).
In a tournament that has seen a lot of the top-ranked players struggle for various reasons, Vitidsarn outclassed Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh 21-11, 21-16 in the second round, and world No. 1 Shi Yuqi was taken to three sets by Canadian rank-and-filer Brian Yang (16-21, 21-19, 21-18).
The likes of Jonatan Christie, Loh Kean Yew and Alex Lanier have already been eliminated, while Christo Popov and Naraoka Kodai have had to go the distance to survive.
Vitidsarn retired early in two competitions leading up to the Japan Open – the Singapore Open and Indonesia Open – but his injury does not appear to be a bother so far in Japan.
“Now I have the Japan Open and China Open before the world championships, and I need to try everything at this tournament and next week also, from the attack game to the defensive game,” Vitidsarn told Olympcis.com.
Vitidsarn, the 2023 world champion, is picking it up at just the right time with the 17-23 August world championships in New Delhi looming on the horizon.
“The world champs is my dream. I get already (one gold) but this time I hope to try again – I need to get the gold medal again,” he said. “I have just one and I need to step it up. I need two or three.
“For me, I’m not the top player yet. I’m just still a normal player. I need to learn to become a top player. I have to learn and try. I have to practice.”
On the women’s side, reigning world champion Yamaguchi Akane had to claw back from a set down to beat Vitidsarn’s compatriot Pitchamon Opatniputh 17-21, 21-15, 21-11.
Olympic champion An Seyoung withdrew from her match against Japan’s Okuhara Nozomi due to injury.
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READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/badminton-japan-open-2026-kunlavut-vitidsarn
