Ratchanok earns shot at All England crown

Ratchanok earns shot at All England crown

Thai ace in final after convincing win over familiar foe Yamaguchi

Birmingham: In her first tournament in three months, Ratchanok Intanon is just one win away from claiming the biggest prize of her career -- the All England title.

World No.7 Ratchanok beat No.4 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 22-20, 21-16 in 49 minutes in the women's singles semi-finals of the oldest badminton tournament.

The 22-year-old Thai will meet top-ranked Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan or Sung Ji-Hyun of South Korea in today's title showdown.

It was sweet revenge for Ratchanok who was eliminated by Yamaguchi in the last-16 round at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Having defeated Yamaguchi at the All England Open in the previous two years, Ratchanok has now beaten the 19-year-old Japanese in all of their three meetings at the prestigious tournament, widely regarded as second to only the Olympics.

Ratchanok and Yamaguchi are now 6-6 in their head-to-head meetings.

Ratchanok, who has just returned from an injury lay-off, will be trying to become the first Thai to triumph at the All England Open.

She became the youngest ever finalist of the tournament in 2013 but lost to Denmark's Tine Baun in the title match.

Ratchanok is still the first and only Thai shuttler to win the world title with her success in 2013.

Ratchanok is playing in her first tournament since her group-stage exit at the World Superseries Finals in December.

On Friday, the Thai star won the last 10 points to overcome Olympic and world champion Carolina Marin 22-20, 13-21, 21-18 in a remarkable quarter-final.

The match-up of recent world champions and No.1s lived up to its billing.

Ratchanok held off Marin in the first game, and Marin tore her through the second.

Marin beat the Thai in their last encounter in the same tournament and at the same stage a year ago, and looked to set to repeat as her fitness showed in leading 18-11 in the deciding game.

But Ratchanok hit some spectacular winners, Marin tightened, and the last five points were the Spaniard's own errors.

"I don't know what happened," Marin said. "In the end I am angry with myself. I was in control."

Her exit meant there will be a new All England women's champion today.

"The last game was about mentality and pressure," Ratchanok said. "Anticipation was also key."

Yamaguchi edged out Sun Yu of China 21-23, 21-14, 22-20 in 1.30 hours on Friday.

On the men's side, Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen ended Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk's impressive run in Birmingham, beating the Thai 21-19, 16-21, 21-8 in the quarter-finals.

Tanongsak, who won his first Superseries title at the Demark Open in October last year, had beaten Olympic champion Cheng Long of China in the last-16 round. bangkok post/ap

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