Ratchanok vows to return to winning ways

Ratchanok vows to return to winning ways

Lin Dan crashes out in last eight as local hope Fanetri reaches semis

World No.5 Ratchanok Intanon claimed yesterday that her agonising exit from the BWF World Championships in Jakarta on Thursday had been caused by a lack of time to recover from a pre-event indisposition.

The Thai badminton star retired due to cramps when she was leading Indonesia’s Lindaweni Fanetri 8-5 in the final game of their last 16 round clash.

The 20-year-old said she had been hospitalised just two weeks before the tournament but did not want to withdraw because it was an important fixture.

“I have to admit that I was not fit enough for the tournament,” said Ratchanok, the 2013 world champion.

“Unfortunately, I could not meet my target of reaching the quarter-finals.”

She added on her Instagram: “It is not the end. It was a sad moment for me but life continues.

“I feel much better now. I will try to be ready and work hard for the next tournament.”

Her manager Kamala Thongkorn said Ratchanok was on a drip receiving saline solution just one night before leaving for Indonesia and had hoped her health would improve as the tournament went on.

“Unfortunately, it did not happen,” she said.

“Fanetri might have known Ratchanok was not fit enough. So, she changed her game to engage her in longer rallies.

“That troubled Ratchanok a lot.”

Ratchanok’s next tournament will be the Japan Open from Sept 8-13 and Kamala believed that her player would be in good shape to vie for her third title of the year.

This year, Ratchanok won the Asian Championship in China and then the Superseries Indonesia Open.

She was also in the Thai team that won gold at the SEA Games in Singapore.

In yesterday’s quarter-finals, unseeded Fanetri upset Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying in the quarter-finals.

The Indonesian bounced back from a slow start to defeat the fourth seed 14-21, 22-20, 21-12 before a roaring home crowd.

In the men’s event, five-time champion Lin Dan was eliminated.

The two-time Olympic champion from China was beaten by second seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 21-12, 21-15.

Fifth seed Lin had been on track to meet rival Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the semi-finals.

Lee, a former top player who now is ranked 44th in the world, beat 13th-seeded Hu Yun of Hong Kong 21-12, 21-18.

China’s Chen Long fought off a stubborn Viktor Axelsen with the plucky Dane pushing the men’s top seed to the limit in an epic quarter-final showdown.

Chen claimed the first game but the seventh-seeded Axelsen put up a dogged defence in the second, dragging the contest beyond an hour before succumbing 21-18, 30-29.

“I was starting to prepare for the third game, but luckily I got it,” Chen told reporters via a translator.

It’s not the first time the 21-year-old Dane has punched above his weight against the Chinese champion, narrowly losing in a three-set battle for gold in the Australian Open in May.

A devastated Axelsen said he struggled to find rhythm and get the best of his formidable opponent.

“I was so close to getting the second set, but Chen Long played better than me here,” the young hopeful said.

“Of course when I look back in a few days I can be proud of my performance today... but when you are so close to winning it’s pretty disappointing.”

Chen progresses to the semi-finals where he will face fourth seed Kento Momota, who dispatched Hong Kong’s Wei Nan 21-6, 21-14.

The 20-year-old Momota, who won the Indonesian Open in June, said he was hoping to face Axelsen but is determined to do his best against the defending champion.

“Chen Long is the No.1 seed, so I hope to prove myself against him,” the Japanese star said.

In the women’s singles, world No.1 Carolina Marin appeared at her most confident as she charged past her toughest opponent yet, seventh seed Wang Shixian of China, 21-17, 21-19.

Marin will face Korean Sung Ji-Hyun after the ninth-seed beat India’s PV Sindhu 21-17, 19-21, 21-16. bangkok post/agencies

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