Anders Antonsen crushes Japanese opponent to reach China Masters quarterfinals

Anders Antonsen made quick work of Kenta Nishimoto on Thursday, sweeping the Japanese player 21-11, 21-9 at the China Masters in Shenzhen.

The Danish world No. 5 controlled the match across all areas of play. Nishimoto, ranked 26th in the world, began with some optimism, but Antonsen soon moved him around the court and took command.

Nishimoto stayed close at 5-6 in the second game. Antonsen then raised the pace and broke his increasingly discouraged opponent’s resistance.

Antonsen will face either China’s Lu Guangzu or, more likely, 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the quarterfinals. Antonsen last beat Vitidsarn in May after a dramatic final at the Thailand Open.

The day ended differently for Denmark’s Line Christophersen, who lost in two games to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun. Denmark’s remaining doubles pairs, Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup, and Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard, were due to compete later Thursday for quarterfinal places.