New pairing Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran will vie for their first title together after reaching the mixed doubles final of the US$420,000 BWF Kumamoto Masters in Japan Saturday.
Dechapol and Supissara rallied to defeat Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai, the third seeds from Malaysia, 18-21, 22-20, 21-14 in the last four of the World Tour Super 500 event Saturday.
It was sweet revenge for the Thai pair, who lost to the Malaysians in the second round of the Arctic Open, their first tournament together, in Finland last month.
The victory followed their win over another Malaysian pair, Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, in the quarter-finals on Friday.
In only their third tournament together, Dechapol and Supissara will play Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in Sunday's final. The French duo defeated China's Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui 21-14, 21-11.
It will be Supissara's first ever World Tour title match.
Dechapol split with his long-time playing partner Sapsiree Taerattanachai after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Sapsiree is now paired with Supak Jomkoh.
Another Thai hope Pornpawee Chochuwong was unable to progress after losing to second seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in three games.
Pornpawee, who was unseeded, won just nine points in the first game but came back strong to take the second game 21-12. Yamaguchi, however, proved more decisive in the third and edged it 21-18 to seal her place in the final after 71 minutes.
Yamaguchi will face fifth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung for the title after the Indonesian prevailed over Sim Yu-Jin of South Korea 18-21, 21-17, 21-19.
The men's final will be a battle between Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia and seventh seed Li Shifeng of China.
Leong upset fourth seed Jonatna Christie of Indonesia 10-21, 21-18, 22-20 while Li stunned top seed Viktor Axelsen, the double Olympic champion, from Denmark in two games 21-16, 21-15.
Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto will play China's second seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in the women's doubles decider while Indonesia's third seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Japan's sixth seeds Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi will meet in the men's doubles final.
Dechapol and Supissara rallied to defeat Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai, the third seeds from Malaysia, 18-21, 22-20, 21-14 in the last four of the World Tour Super 500 event Saturday.
It was sweet revenge for the Thai pair, who lost to the Malaysians in the second round of the Arctic Open, their first tournament together, in Finland last month.
The victory followed their win over another Malaysian pair, Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, in the quarter-finals on Friday.
In only their third tournament together, Dechapol and Supissara will play Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in Sunday's final. The French duo defeated China's Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui 21-14, 21-11.
It will be Supissara's first ever World Tour title match.
Dechapol split with his long-time playing partner Sapsiree Taerattanachai after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Sapsiree is now paired with Supak Jomkoh.
Another Thai hope Pornpawee Chochuwong was unable to progress after losing to second seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in three games.
Pornpawee, who was unseeded, won just nine points in the first game but came back strong to take the second game 21-12. Yamaguchi, however, proved more decisive in the third and edged it 21-18 to seal her place in the final after 71 minutes.
Yamaguchi will face fifth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung for the title after the Indonesian prevailed over Sim Yu-Jin of South Korea 18-21, 21-17, 21-19.
The men's final will be a battle between Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia and seventh seed Li Shifeng of China.
Leong upset fourth seed Jonatna Christie of Indonesia 10-21, 21-18, 22-20 while Li stunned top seed Viktor Axelsen, the double Olympic champion, from Denmark in two games 21-16, 21-15.
Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto will play China's second seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in the women's doubles decider while Indonesia's third seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Japan's sixth seeds Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi will meet in the men's doubles final.
