Ratchanok faces first hurdle in Chen
Thai meets Chinese in opening Finals match
Ratchanok Intanon faces a daunting task against China’s Chen Yufei in her opening match at the BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou today.
In today’s other Group B game, Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara takes on Michelle Li of Canada.
In Group A of the women’s singles competition, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi plays PV Sindhu of India and Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan meets Beiwen Zhang of the US.
There are five categories in the US$1.5 million tournament with each featuring eight players or pairs.
The top two players or pairs of each group advance to the semi-finals with the finals taking place on Sunday.
World No.8 Ratchanok has defeated third-ranked Chen only once in eight meetings as the Chinese is 3-1 against the Thai this year.
In their first meeting of the year, Ratchanok stunned Chen in the Uber Cup semifinals in Bangkok as Thailand booked a place in the final where they lost to Japan.
However, Chen, 20, has since beaten Ratchanok, 23, three times at the Asian Games, in France and in the Fuzhou China Open.
Ratchanok, the 2013 world champion, is targeting her second win of the season.
“My fitness level is great. I’m ready. I hope to at least get to the semis but of course winning the year-end title will be great,” said the injury-plagued Thai.
But she knows that it won’t be easy for her to win the crown.
“Women’s singles is very tough now. It’s not just the top eight — all the players are more experienced. My preparation is going well and I will have to focus on every shot and create the opportunity for me to win,” she said.
Top-ranked Tai is favourite to win the women’s singles title.
The Taiwanese has savoured another
outstanding season, winning six World Tour titles and becoming the first women’s player to surpass the million-dollar mark in career earnings.
Her all-court wizardry and usually calm persona have combined to gift the Taiwanese star with the exceptional ability to canter away and crush opponents,
to tough out close battles or to conjure up brilliant comebacks.
The 24-year-old has won two Finals championships in the last four years although she crashed out in the group stage last year.
“I will have to play at my best in every match,” she said.
“From the first match at the World Tour Finals, you meet someone ranked in the top eight or 10, so it’s much tougher.”
Also today, Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen is up against Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto in Group B of the men’s singles.
Thailand’s mixed doubles duo Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai begin their campaign in Group A against Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai.
In the women’s doubles, Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai take on Lee So-Hee and Shin Seung-Chan of South Korea.