DUBAI: Ratchanok Intanon lost her final group match on Friday but will still advance to the semi-finals of the season-ending $1-million Dubai World Superseries Finals by virtue of her two earlier wins.
Ratchanok went down in three sets (21-18, 13-21, 21-18) to world No.8 Chen Yufei of China in a match that lasted 74 minutes in the Badminton World Federation event at the Hamdan Sports Complex.
The Thai world No.6 entered the match hoping to sweep her group, a day after defeating Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan in straight sets, her third victory of the year over the world No.1 player.
Ratchanok, the 2013 world champion before injuries set her back, has made a strong return to form this year with victories in three Grand Prix Gold tournaments in Thailand, New Zealand and Denmark. As a result, she jumped three spots in the women’s singles world rankings.
