Former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand kept her hopes of advancing from women’s singles Group B alive with a comfortable victory over China’s third seed Han Yue in the preliminary league stage of the BWF World Tour Finals on Friday.
Playing on Court 1 at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, Ratchanok registered a 21-17, 21-10 win in a 38-minute encounter.
Meanwhile, in Group A, Korea’s top seed An Se Young and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi finished at the top of the standings to secure their places in the semifinals.
Se Young topped the group unbeaten, recording three wins from three matches, while Yamaguchi finished second with two wins from three matches. Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani placed third with one win from three matches, while Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki ended last in the four-player group with three losses.
Se Young defeated fourth seed Yamaguchi in a hard-fought three-game match, bouncing back after losing the opening game to win 13-21, 21-5, 21-14 in 47 minutes.
In another match played on Court 2, Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani defeated Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki in straight games, winning 21-17, 21-9 in 38 minutes.
In the evening session, India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to end their group-stage campaign on a high when they face second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia in a Group B men’s doubles clash.
Earlier on Thursday, India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, registered their second successive win at the BWF World Tour Finals 2025, defeating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in a pulsating three-game contest.
The world No. 3 Indian pair displayed authority and composure to secure a 21-11, 16-21, 21-11 victory, extending their unbeaten run in Group B and moving into a strong position for a semifinal berth.
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-IANS
