Okuhara lifts women’s singles title at BWF Hong Kong Open

Speed Post News Network

Patna : World No 6 and 2017 World Champion Nozomi Okuhara, 23, Japan, clinched the women’s singles title at Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open, a BWF World Tour Super 500 event, defeating World No 8 Ratchanok Intanon, 23, Thailand, in the final at Hong Kong on November 18, 2018.

Okuhara beat Intanon in straight games 21-19, 24-22 in the final in 64 minutes. Okuhara, the 7th seed, won 46 rallies in the match to 41 by Intanon, the 6th seed. She won 6 consecutive points to 5 by Intanon. Okuhara now leads Intanon 5-4 head to head.

Okuhara had entered the final after her semi-final opponent and top seed Tai Tzu Ying, 24, Taiwan, the World No 1, retired in the second game trailing 12-21, 1-3 on November 17, 2018. Intanon had defeated World No 10 Sung Ji Hyun, South Korea, in the semi-finals on November 17.