Ratchanok topples Yamaguchi for 1st semi in months
Ratchanok Intanon reached her first semi-final in almost five months after she settled score over old foe Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-9 21-16 in the Hong Kong Open on Friday.
The sixth seeded easily picked off the off-form Japanese who held a better head-to-head record of 11-8 over the Thai coming to the match. The former world No 1 booked her spot in the semi-sinals for the first time after she reached this stage in the Malaysia Open in June.
Ratchanok will play South Korean Sung Ji Hyun who advanced into the semi-finals after Chinese He Bingjiao retured with injury at 13-21 11-19 in Sung’s favour.
However, Thai No 3 Pornpawee Chochuwong went down to 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 21-12 16-21 21-6.
In mixed doubles, the in-form Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai beat Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja of Indonesia 21-12 15-21 21-13.
