Bangkok: In the women’s singles final of the Super 300 series at the Thailand Masters, Japan’s world no. 15 Aya Ohori engaged in a fierce battle with the local player world no. 17 Supanida Katethong for 1 hour and 21 minutes. Ultimately, Ohori staged a remarkable comeback, securing victory with scores of 18-21, 21-17, 21-13, marking her first title of the season.
Highlights of Aya Ohori vs. Supanida Katethong in the 2024 Thailand Masters final:
Ohori had a successful journey in the Thailand Masters, defeating her compatriot and 2017 world champion, Nozomi Okuhara, in the quarter-finals. She then defeated the local favorite Busanan Ongbamrungphan to advance to the final.
In the first game of the final, both players fought fiercely, reaching a 6-6 tie. Katethong managed to withstand the pressure and took the lead with a score of 21-18. In the second game, Ohori initiated a comeback, starting with a 9-2 lead and maintaining control throughout, winning the game 21-17. Entering the deciding game, Ohori’s performance was dominant. With the score tied at 11-11, she scored six consecutive points to establish a winning momentum, ultimately securing victory with a score of 21-13.
Ohori’s last women’s singles title was in 2018 at the US Yonex / K&D Graphics International. Today, after a hard-fought battle against Katethong, she ended her championship drought of over four years, and her emotions overwhelmed her as she tearfully expressed her happiness of winning the tournament.
In mixed doubles pair, Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei, missed their chance of winning their career third BWF World Tour title as they lost in the final.
Appearing as the second seed, Chen/Toh had to succumb to the prowess of the top-seeded home representatives, Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, in a 12-21, 18-21 defeat at Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.
Chen/Toh, often made easy mistakes, particularly in the first set, providing free points to their opponents.
Although their desire to stage a comeback in the second set seemed to have a glimmer of hope, Puavaranukroh/Taerattanachai proved resilient, especially with the strong support of their local fans.
Meanwhile, local women’s doubles pair – Benyapa Aimsaard/Nuntakarn Aimsaard also picked up the Thailand Masters title by beating Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min of China 21-13, 17-21, 27-25.
