Nithiitikrai, currently ranked 80th in the world, is a promising Thai player. However, with the home crowd's support, Linh started strongly, consistently leading in points.

The Phu Tho native's powerful shots put her opponent on the defensive. With a significant advantage, Linh's play improved, while Nithiitikrai seemed to lose her way.

Linh easily won the first set 21-10.

Just when an easy victory seemed within reach, Linh's performance dipped in the second set. The world number 18 player made frequent errors, dropping points early in the set.

In contrast, Nithiitikrai played with focus, often employing drop shots that Linh struggled to return accurately.

The 21-year-old Thai player's performance continued to rise, forcing Linh to play catch-up. However, she appeared to give up after falling behind Nithiitikrai, losing the set 13-21.

As the last remaining home hope in the tournament, Linh couldn't afford to lose. She entered the final set with renewed determination. Her powerful shots made it difficult for her opponent to defend.

Linh built a commanding lead, reaching 14-7 and then 17-9, seemingly on her way to victory.

However, the resilient Thai player fought back, saving seemingly impossible shots and gradually closing the gap to 13-17, 14-18, and 16-19.

The home crowd grew anxious as a comeback defeat looked possible. But Linh remained calm, engaging in long rallies and then using drop shots to reach match point at 20-18.

The final point was a tense exchange, but Nithiitikrai hit the net, giving Linh the win at 21-18. After the decisive error, the Thai player threw her racket down in frustration, falling to the court and covering her face.

Earlier, Nguyen Hai Dang lost 1-2 to Wang Zi Jun (China), exiting the tournament in the quarterfinals. The pair of Nguyen Dinh Hoang and Tran Dinh Manh also lost 1-2 (17-21, 21-15, 11-21) to Chen Sheng Fa and Lu Chen (Taiwan) in the men's doubles quarterfinals.

Thanh Nhan