PARIS: World number one Wang Yihan of China made a shock exit in the third round of the women’s singles at the badminton world championships on Thursday, while Indian second seed Saina Nehwal eased into the last eight with a 21-14, 21-18 success over Russia’s Ella Diehl.

In a marathon, 75-minute tussle Wang was ousted by 10th seed Eriko Hirose of Japan 20-22, 21-16, 21-18. The top seed managed to save one match point but Hirose, looking the fresher, was not be denied. Hirose’s quarter-final opponent is another of the Chinese battalion, seventh-seed Wang Lin who beat Hong Kong’s 12th seed Pui Yin Yip 21-13, 21-17 in their third-round match.
Denmark’s Tine Baun, twice an All England winner as Tine Rasmussen, booked her quarter-final slot with a tough 21-19, 23-21 over Petya Nedelcheva. Baun, seeded four, has been struggling with injury and had to raise her game when trailing 17-12 in the second set.
Diju-Jwala in last 8
The Indian mixed doubles pair of V Diju and Jwala Gutta overcame early sluggishness to beat Singapore’s Chayut Triyachart and Lei Yao and enter the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Diju and Jwala, quarter-finalists at the last World Championships in Hyderabad, won 14-21, 21-18, 21-14. The Indians will now face 12th seeds South Korea’s Sung Hyun Ko and Jung Eun Ha for a place in the semi-finals. The Korean pair had shocked fifth seeds Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark.