Rampant Ratchanok roars into Thailand Open final

BANGKOK: Two-time winner Ratchanok Intanon edged a thriller against compatriot Pornpawee Chochuwong to reach the final of the Thailand Open on home soil Saturday.

Former world champion Ratchanok, 24, cut Pornpawee’s rousing comeback short as she won in three games 23-21, 17-21, 21-19 in front of a packed home crowd.

In Sunday’s final she will face Chinese top seed Chen Yufei, who is yet to drop a game after beating Sayaka Takahashi 21-16, 21-19.

Ratchanok faced unseeded Pornpawee in a boisterous atmosphere at the Indoor Stadium Huamark as the former world number one continued her quest for a third title in Bangkok.

Victory was sheer jubilation for the third-seeded Ratchanok, who had to dig deep as she found herself trailing in the third game before recovering aggressively.

Elsewhere, Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan beat Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in straight games to reach the men’s final where he will play Hong Kong’s Angus Ng, who upset reigning champion Kanta Tsuneyama 21-9, 23-21.