Thailand Masters: Bangkok is ‘lucky place’ for Hong Kong’s Ng, with world No 18 set for fourth badminton final
- Defending champion Angus Ng ends his seven-month wait to get shot at title
- Bangkok is a happy hunting ground for the world No 18, who has made the final there four times since 2019
Angus Ng Ka-long came back from a game down to beat China’s Li Shifeng in the semi-finals of the Thailand Masters on Saturday, ending a seven-month wait for a shot at a title.
Bangkok is a “lucky place” for the Hongkonger, who has now reached four finals in the country’s capital since 2019, twice in the Thailand Open and twice, including this one, in the Masters.
It was Ng’s second semi-final appearance in a row after the Indonesia Masters last week, but this time he recovered from losing the first game 21-19, to take the next two 21-8, 21-19.
Ng’s coach, Wong Tat Meng, said he thought that his player’s confidence had been boosted by last week’s performance, despite the fact the world No 18 lost “after leading all the way”.
“I believe he gained confidence and learned a lot from that, which made him more consistent this week,” Tat Meng said.
When Ng won the men’s singles title at the Thailand Masters in 2020, he knocked Li out in the round of 16, and this time he got the better of him in the final four.