Thailand celebrated a Super Saturday at the Malaysia Masters with standout performances across the board. Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul, fresh from his Thomas Cup heroics, stunned No.3 seed Christo Popov 21-13, 21-13 to book a place in his third final of the season, still chasing his first title in 2026.
It was a family affair for the Teeraratsakuls as Panitchaphon’s older brother, Pakkapon, reached his first Super 500 final with partner Sapsiree Taerattanachai. Earlier, Ratchanok Intanon advanced to her first final of the year after defeating Line Kjaersfeldt.
Panitchaphon’s speed and explosive court coverage proved too much for Popov. The Frenchman, far from his best form, praised Teeraratsakul’s performance: “He played brilliantly today. He was really flying on court and totally deserved to win. The score reflects his dominance today, and honestly, if he plays tomorrow the same way, he has a big chance to win.”
What They Said:
Chen Yu Fei: “The name Chen Yu Fei means to me that I need to improve. I have a lot of good achievements. I always want to work on something in my game and get better. I need to stay calm and fight for every win.”
Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul: “The shuttles were fast today and I think that helped me. I have worked on my confidence and I want to continue working hard. Christo is my idol and it was great to play him.”
Sapsiree Taerattanachai (on sharing the spotlight with the Teeraratsakul brothers): “It’s the first time they have both been in a final at the same event. They share their prize money with their mum so I think the boys will ask their mum to share the prize money with them this time!”
