NINGBO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand and home favorite Shi Yuqi reached the men's singles quarterfinals at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships Thursday.

World No. 1 Vitidsarn rallied from one game down to defeat Japan's Yushi Tanaka 8-21, 21-18, 21-5.

Vitidsarn will face China's Weng Hongyang, who beat India's H.S. Prannoy 21-12, 21-19.

Second seed Shi, another title contender, eased past Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong, China, 21-11, 21-10 and will next face Japan's Kodai Naraoka.

"I focus on every detail, including pre-match tactical analysis and physical preparation," Shi said. "I hope to achieve the goal of winning the title, but the process remains the priority."

In women's singles, second seed Wang Zhiyi of China overcame a tight first game to beat India's P.V. Sindhu 21-18, 21-8 and book a quarterfinal berth.

"My opponent is very experienced and strong," Wang said. "The first game was quite difficult. Against such veterans you have to be more rigorous, because they will seize any tiny opportunity to catch up."

Compatriot Gao Fangjie survived a scare against sixth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia, rallying from a 21-18 first-game loss to win next two games 21-12, 21-17.

"I'm happy to have another chance to play tomorrow," said Gao, who announced she will retire after the tournament.

Also Thursday, South Korea's An Se-young beat Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam 21-7, 21-6.

In the doubles draw, top-seeded pairs Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea in men's doubles, China's Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in women's doubles and Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in mixed doubles all advanced to the next round.

The quarterfinals will be played Friday. ■