France's Christo and Toma Junior Popov were among the quarter-final winners today at the BWF Spanish Masters ©Getty Images

First and second seeds in the men's singles, Indonesia's Shesar Hiren Rhustavito and France's Toma Junior Popov, today reached the semi-finals at the 2021 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Spain Masters at the Palacio de Deportes Carolina Marín in Huelva.

Rhustavito beat Malaysia’s Cheam June Wei 21-9, 21-10 and Popov overcame Denmark’s Mads Christophersen 21-10, 16-21, 21-19.

But there were surprises in the other two men’s quarter-finals.

Israel's third seed Misha Zilberman lost 21-11, 21-12 to South Korea's Lee Dong-keun. while Brazil's sixth seed Ygor Coelho was beaten by Indonesia’s Chcio Aura Dwi Wardoyo 21-17, 21-17.

There was an upset too in the women’s singles quarter-finals as Belgium’s fourth seed Lian Tan was beaten 18-21, 21-19, 21-13 by Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.

Switzerland’s Jenjira Stadelmann won her quarter-final against Denmark’s Irina Amalie Andersen 15-21, 21-19, 21-19, while France’s Leonice Huet reached the last four with a 21-4, 21-13 win over Spain’s Nerea Ivorra.

Third seed Line Christophersen had a walkover against Ivorra’s compatriot Beatriz Corrales.

The men's doubles also had more than its fair share of shocks as Danish top seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen were beaten 21-17, 15-21, 21-11 by Indonesia’s fifth seeds Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Rambitan.

Indonesian second seeds Leo Carnando and Daniel Marthin also fell as the combination of Scotland’s Adam Hall and Fredrik Søgaard of Norway prevailed 21-18, 17-21, 24-22.

French fourth seeds Christo and Toma Junior Popov beat Spain’s Joan Monroy and Carlos Piris 21-16, 18-21, 21-8.

Another Indonesian pairing was certain to progress in the other quarter-final, and it was the unseeded Sabar Gutama and Moh Isfahini who upset their compatriots and third seeds Muhammed Fikri and Bagas Maulana with a 21-16, 21-19 win.

In the women's doubles, Scottish seventh seeds Julie MacPherson and Ciara Torrance reached the last four with a 21-14, 13-21, 21-14 win over fourth seeds Julie Finne-Ipsen and Mai Surrow of Denmark.

Indonesia’s unseeded Yulfira Barkah and Febby Gani beat sixth-seeded compatriots Nita Marwah and Putri Syaikah 19-21, 21-17, 21-12.       

Top seeds Amalie Magelund and Freja Ravn of Denmark defeated Malaysia’s fifth seeds Anna Cheong and Yap Cheng Wen 13-21, 21-18, 21-17, while the Dutch pairing of Alyssa Tirtosentono and Imke Van Der Aar beat England's Jessica Hopton and Jessica Pugh 21-15, 21-8.