China's Chen Long survives scare to reach last eight, defending champion Momota battles through

Olympic champion Chen Long survived huge third round scare to move to the last eight as defending champion Kento Momota of Japan storms through at the Badminton World Championships here on Thursday.

The third-seeded Chen, who won the world title in 2014 and 2015, was 5-11 behind in the third set against Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong, China. He managed to level the score at 11-11 and went on to seal the decider 21-16.

Chen won the first set 21-13 and looked on track to go through comfortably.

Chinese shuttler Chen Long reacts during the World Badminton Championship game against Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong, China in Basel, Switzerland on Aug 22, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

But Ng, the ninth seed, made a thrilling comeback in the second, winning 21-17 to take the match to the third set, which he dominated from the beginning.

"The first set was too easy for me, so I lost concentration in the second," Chen said. "Trailing 5-11, I had no choice but to try my best. I am happy that I have made it."

The 30-year-old will next face fifith seed Anders Antonsen, who defeated Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan 23-21, 21-18 in the other match.

Momota, also the world No. 1, defeated India's H.S. Prannoy 21-19, 21-12 after 55 minutes. He takes on Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, who eliminated Japan's eighth seed Kenta Nishimoto 21-15, 11-21, 22-20.

Second seed Hou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei beat Singapore's Loh Kean Yew 21-13, 18-21, 21-17. He will play Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen, who ousted India's srikanth Kidamai, the seventh seed, 21-14, 21-13.

The other quarterfinal clash pits India's B. Sai Praneeth against fourth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.

In the women's draw, fourth seed Chen Yufei of China, the All England champion, beat Canada's Michelle Li in three sets to enter the last eight.

The Chinese No. 1 took 72 minutes to see off the 11th-seeded Li 21-18, 17-21, 21-17, setting up a quarterfinal showdown against Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark.

The 12th-seeded Blichfeldt edged eighth seed Saina Nehwal of India in a three-set thriller 15-21, 27-25, 21-12.

Chen's teammate He Bingjiao, who won bronze in last year's world championships, also booked a quarterfinal berth after beating another Chinese player Han Yun 21-18, 21-14.

He will take on third seed Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, who beat 10th seed Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea.

Seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand fought back from one set down to defeat Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 18-21, 23-21, 21-10.

Singapore's Yeo Jia Min, who upset top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the second round, reached the quarterfinals for the first time in her career with a victory over Vietnam's Thi Trang Vu 21-15, 14-21, 21-16.

Elsewhere, second seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei defeated South Korea's Kim Ga Eun 24-22, 24-22, fifth seed Sindhu V. Pusarla of India breezed past U.S. player Zhang Beiwen 21-14, 21-6.

The 19-year-old Yeo will next face Intanon and Tai plays Pusarla.