Thailand Open: Hirokami/Hobara on a Roll
Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara stepped onto the courts at TOYOTA Thailand Open 2025 as qualifiers, largely unheralded.
· PREM KUMAR
It was only their second tournament together, yet momentum was unmistakably on their side. After a semifinal finish at the Taipei Open just a week earlier, the Japanese duo surprised fans again – advancing to the Super 500 semifinals, a milestone neither had reached in their careers.
They did it in style, convincingly defeating world No.51 Indonesians Meilysa Trias Puspitasari and Rachel Allessya Rose 21-9 21-16 on Friday, just a day after ousting third seeds Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Pullela Gopichand also in straight games.
“I’m delighted with how things are going,” the 22-year-old Hirokami said, her eyes bright with satisfaction. “I’ve been doing my best learning from my senior and trying to contribute as much as I can.”