Bodin's injury scuttles Thai title assault

Bodin's injury scuttles Thai title assault

Injured Bodin Isara receives medical treatment. afp MIGUEL MEDINA
Injured Bodin Isara receives medical treatment. afp MIGUEL MEDINA

Thai doubles pair Bodin Isara and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet's second straight appearance in a World Superseries final ended in a heartbreak again at the French Open on Sunday.

The Thais were neck-and-neck with Denmark's Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen, ranked ninth in the men's doubles world rankings, when Bodin suffered a knee injury early in the deciding third set to see their title challenge come to an abrupt halt.

World No.20 Bodin and Nipitphon, who lost to Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong of Malaysia in the Denmark Open final last week, had a fine start to their French Open doubles title match.

They captured the first set 21-19, but then encountered stiffer resistance from the Danes, who levelled the match 1-1 by claiming the second 20-18.

Boe and Mogensen raced to a 3-0 lead in the decider, and before the Thais had a chance to settle down, Bodin got injured and could not continue playing.

Bodin and Nipitphon were the only Thais to have reached the semi-finals of the US$300,000 tournament.

Bodin, who is seeking his second Superseries title after the 2013 Indian Open, said his knee was swollen, but apparently it was "nothing to be worried about".

In another development, world No.2 Ratchanok Intanon is facing a race against time to get fit before the Superseries Premier China Open, which takes place in two weeks' time.

Her manager Kamala Thongkorn said the event in China could have a bearing on her place in the Superseries Finals in Dubai.

Ratchanok is currently ranked third for the Dubai tournament.

"She is doing well, but she still cannot run or practise as she used to do," Kamala said, adding that the 21-year-old star has been nursing a knee injury for a few months now.

"She can hit the shuttle and do some exercises to regain fitness."

Besides the China Open, the Hong Kong Open is the only event left that Ratchanok can participate in and retain her place among the top eight to qualify for the year-ending Finals.

Kamala believes that Ratchanok is likely to qualify for the Dubai event, but added that she would need some points from the China event.

"She is expected to go to China, but she will not be taking a risk," Kamala said.

"Even if she loses in the first round [of the China Open], she can still earn about 2,600 points."

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