
HONG KONG: Ratchanok Intanon's quest for a fourth title in 2017 remains on hold following her semi-final loss to Pusarla V Sindhu of India at the US$400,000 BWF Hong Kong Open badminton tournament on Saturday evening.
The world No.3 dispatched her 22-year-old Thai challenger in straight sets (21-17, 21-17) in a match that lasted 43 minutes at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
Pusarla will face world No.1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan, who defeated Sung Ji-hyun of Korea earlier, in Sunday's final.
The 2013 world champion who later struggled with injuries, Ratchanok has made an encouraging return to form this year, with victories in three Grand Prix Gold tournaments in Thailand, New Zealand and Denmark. As a result, she has improved her world ranking from ninth to sixth.