Ratchanok to lead four-pronged Thai assault at season-ending World Tour Finals
>> Thailand will have players competing in four out of five events at the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou, China.
World No.8 Ratchanok Intanon will spearhead the Thai challenge after she qualified for the season finale for the sixth time in seven years.
Men’s singles star Kantaphon Wangcharoen, ranked 17th in the world, will make his debut at the event. The 20-year-old has had a stellar rin in 2018 which saw him occupy the sixth spot on the Race To Guangzhou Rankings.
The pairs of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai (women’s doubles) and Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai (mixed doubles) will also participate in the US$1.5 million tournament between Dec 12-16.
However the tournament has lost one of its biggest attraction after Spain’s Carolina Marin, who automatically qualified as world champion, withdrew due to injury.
Marin’s slot has now been handed to China’s He Bingjiao.
Marin, who has never won the season-ending tournament, was seventh on the Race To Guangzhou Rankings, and her withdrawal meant the invitation was sent to the player next in line, He, in 10th place.
Sayaka Takahashi, ranked ninth, was not invited as two Japanese players — Nozomi Okuhara (No.2) and Akane Yamaguchi (No.3) — qualified ahead of her. Only two players per country can qualify for each event of the season-ending tournament.
The BWF World Tour Finals features the top eight players and pairs on the World Tour in a calendar year, with the current world champions gaining automatic entries.