Mixed doubles pair Reiko Shiota and Shintaro Ikeda advanced to the last eight, but London Olympic silver medalists and top seeds Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa made a shock exit in the women’s doubles at the Yonex Japan Open on Thursday.
The popular Shiota, who is retiring after the tournament, and Ikeda prevailed 21-14, 21-16 in their opening mixed doubles match against South Korea’s Kim Sa Rang and Kim So Young at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.
In a surprise result in women’s doubles, Fujii and Kakiiwa lost 21-19, 14-21, 21-17 to Koharu Yonemoto and Yuriko Miki.
In women’s singles action, Beijing Olympian Eriko Hirose beat compatriot Minatsu Mitani 11-21, 21-15, 22-20 and progressed to the quarterfinals along with Ai Goto, but Nozomi Okuhara was eliminated after going down 21-15, 21-17 to South Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun.
Sho Sasaki, fifth at the London Olympics, was knocked out 21-12, 21-12 by Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana, but Kazumasa Sakai made it through to the last eight of the men’s singles with a 19-21, 21-18, 21-14 defeat of Wong Wing Ki of Hong Kong.
Third seeds Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa reached the men’s doubles quarterfinals after seeing off Indonesia’s Alvent Yulianto Chandra and Markis Kido 17-21, 21-15, 21-9.
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