Commonwealth Games champion Michelle Li saw off the challenge of her fellow Canadian Tai Yi ©Getty Images

Commonwealth Games champion Michelle Li saw off the challenge of her fellow Canadian Tai Yi to reach the quarter-finals of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) US Open in Los Angeles.

Twenty-four-year-old Li is the second seed in the Californian city but is now the favourite after top-ranked Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland withdrew.

She proved too strong for Tai, coming through 21-12, 22-20 to reach the last eight at the Los Angeles Badminton Club.

Li, who beat Gilmour to the Commonwealth Games gold medal on the Scot's home court in Glasgow in 2014, will now play Malaysian Zhang Beiwen at the Grand Prix Gold event.

The sport's top names are absent in the 2024 Olympic bid city with Japan's third seed Yui Hashimoto among the other players still in the draw, after her 21-13, 21-3 success over Brazil's Lohaynny Vicente.

European Games champion Pablo Abian is among those to have gone through in the men's draw ©Getty Images
European Games champion Pablo Abian is among those to have gone through in the men's draw ©Getty Images

Another Japanese, the fourth seed Kaori Imabeppu, is out, however, after a 21-10, 21-15 loss to her team-mate Saena Kawakami.

Big names are also missing from the men's competition with India's Ajay Jayaram the best ranked player left in.

The two-time Dutch Open champion beat Raul Must of Estonia 21-14, 21-9 to book his quarter-final place.

He will be joined in the last eight by Spain's European Games champion Pablo Abian, who defeated Howard Shu of the United States 21-13, 21-14.

Guatemala's Pan American Games champion Kevin Cordon is also still in contention thanks to a 21-16, 21-15 triumph over Denmark's Christian Lind Thomsen. 

The competition will continue with the last eight stage tomorrow.