Ratchanok Intanon defeated top-ranked Tai Tzu-ying to guarantee herself a place in the semi-finals of the US$1-million season-ending Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017 yesterday.
The Thai world No.6 claimed her second successive win in Group B after beating the Taiwanese holder 21-18, 21-17 at the Hamdan Sports Complex.
Ratchanok also beat Tai in the China Open quarter-finals last month.
Ratchanok outclassed world No.5 Sung Ji-Hyun of South Korea 21-19, 21-16 in her opening match on Wednesday.
Tai needed three games to overcome world No.8 Chen Yufei 15-21, 21-12, 21-7 in her opener on Wednesday.
China's Chen, meanwhile, kept alive her hopes of making it to the last four after beating Sung 21-16, 21-13.
Ratchanok takes on Chen today in the last group match, while Tai needs to beat the already-eliminated Sung and hope for a Ratchanok win to qualify.
In Group A, world No.2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan also won her second successive match, overcoming No.9 He Bingjiao of China 21-14, 13-21, 21-8.
Indian No.3 PV Sindhu, who beat He in three games on Wednesday, was scheduled to play Japan's Sayaka Sato late last night.
Sato lost to Yamaguchi in her opener on Wednesday.
In the men's singles event, China's Shi Yuqi claimed his second win in Group B when he upset world No.1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen 13-21, 21-18, 21-17. Axelsen beat India's Srikanth Kidambi 21-13, 21-17 on Wednesday. Kidambi was due to play Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen late last night.
In Group A, Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong rebounded from his opening loss to Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia with a 21-15, 13-21, 21-16 win over Son Wan-Ho of South Korea.
