On Friday afternoon at the Singapore Open, Akane Yamaguchi defeated Ratchanok Intanon 19-21, 21-19, 22-20 in a quarter-final that lasted 69 minutes.

It was a heated contest, as Intanon ended up closing the first game. Yamaguchi then responded in the second, snatching a 21-19 win to force a deciding match. 

The third game further upped the ante, as the World No. 3 and World No. 7 went back and forth. Yamaguchi finally closed it at 22-20 after saving multiple critical hits to progress to the semi-finals.

Akane Yamaguchi is a three-time World Champion from Japan and has defined women's singles badminton for almost close to a decade. Meanwhile, Ratchanok Intanon is the youngest ever singles World Champion and former world No. 1, the first-ever from Thailand.

After their latest encounter, Yamaguchi and Intanon have clashed 24 times, with the Japanese star taking the bragging rights with 13 wins to Intanon's 11.

Their rivalry goes as far back as the 2014 Malaysian Open, where a teenage Yamaguchi defeated the World Champion Intanon in the first round. 

The rivalry has only grown fiercer over the years, with Yamaguchi holding a slender 7-5 advantage since 2017. Their latest clash came at the Uber Cup in Denmark, where Yamaguchi grabbed a hard-fought, straight-sets victory.

Fans Rave Over Yamaguchi and Intanon's QF Clash

The reaction from the badminton community was immediate, as fans were following the score. With the match lasting over an hour, viewers broke down each player's performance towards the end.

"Intanon stole G1 from Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi just managed to stay in front at the crucial stage of G2 and didn't give up," one user tweeted. "G3 was absolute madness. But Yamaguchi converted on her 4th match point. Brilliant match."

Amazed by Yamaguchi and Intanon's competitive display, certain fans urged the two stars to keep playing.

"Crazy watching this match, this final's over way too quickly. Truly a classy showdown!" another fan added. "Ladies, please don't rush into retirement, okay?"

A few fans noted Intanon's tenacity towards the end. The Thai superstar conceded the final set to an unforced error and collapsed to her knees in frustration. However, she stood up and congratulated Yamaguchi on the win.

"Such a graceful shuttler, she even loses with a bright smile," a fan wrote. "The match was a pure thriller, thanks to both of them!" 

With the LA Olympics just over two years away, fans are already keen on watching the two compete on the biggest stage and add to their historic rivalry.

"If I could pick two WS to be in LA28 podium, it would be none other than these two," a fan wrote. "They truly deserved it after treating us with so many good matches over more than one decade."

A few fans were quick to deem their latest clash as the best of 2026.

 "Best women's singles match of this year imo,” they wrote.

Akane Yamaguchi will now progress to the semi-finals, where she will face Chinese shuttler and World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi. On the other hand, Ratchanok Intanon will regroup before entering the Indonesia Open in June.

Will Yamaguchi go all the way at the Singapore Open? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sijo Paul