The explosive 23-year-old convincingly defeated China’s highly promising Shi Yuqi 21-11, 21-13 in Nanjing, becoming the first Japanese man to win the World Championships.

Carolina Marin claimed her own slice of history as the Spaniard became the first woman to win three badminton world crowns with an emphatic victory over P.V. Sindhu of India.

Momota’s career descended into controversy in 2016 when Japanese badminton chiefs suspended him for more than a year for visiting an illegal casino, denying him a place at the Rio Olympics.

Momota, number two in the world at the time, has been working his way back to the top ever since and was the pre-tournament favourite in Nanjing.

After dismissing Shi, Momota was coy about his temporary absence from the sport, but said after a pause: “There was a time when I was away.

“But I got a lot of help and support from many people, this title is a good reward for them.”

Momota, now seventh in the rankings, said he wanted to emulate greats Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan, two super stars who have reigned over badminton for well over a decade.

Lee missed the tournament because of illness and Lin was well beaten by Shi in the third round.

“They have had long and successful careers and like them, I want to give the audience enjoyment,” said Momota, whose championship-winning point was a huge anti-climax — the shuttlecock hitting the top of the net before falling in his favour.

The Japanese immediately apologised to Shi, who was playing in front of his home-province crowd and appeared nervous, making numerous errors.

The third seed, 22, defeated compatriots Lin and Olympic champion Chen Long on the way to the final to confirm a changing of the guard in Chinese men’s badminton.

“That is why they call me the hope of Chinese badminton, but I need to improve on all fronts,” he said modestly.

– More heartbreak for Sindhu –

There were tears of joy from the 25-year-old Marin after her victory over the unfortunate Sindhu in the women’s final.

The aggressive Marin is now the reigning world and Olympic champion thanks to a ruthless 21-19, 21-10 win.

The all-action Spaniard adds the 2018 world crown to her titles in 2014 and 2015, and the Olympic gold she won at Sindhu’s expense at Rio 2016.

“I feel really happy, I cannot describe my emotions now, I have so many inside,” said Marin, who was imperious all week despite being a modest seventh in the seedings.

Third seed Sindhu, 23, well known for her never-say-die spirit, has now suffered a string of near-misses.

As well as disappointment at Rio, Sindhu was beaten in last year’s World Championships final by Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara and had to settle for silver at this year’s Commonwealth Games too.

Sindhu said she could not live with the pace of Marin.

“She has that speed. Today she started fast and I was prepared for everything,” said the Indian, who owes her athleticism to volleyball-playing parents.

She described another finals defeat as “frustrating and quite sad”.

“But I need to come back stronger,” she said.

Aside from Marin, Japan and China dominated the last day of action.

Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara won the women’s doubles title in a thrilling all-Japanese final, while the hosts took gold in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles.

The aggressive Marin is now the reigning world and Olympic champion thanks to an imperious 21-19, 21-10 win in Nanjing.

The all-action 25-year-old adds the 2018 crown to her titles in 2014 and 2015, and the Olympic gold she won from the unlucky Sindhu at Rio 2016.

It was more disappointment for Sindhu, who has suffered a string of near-misses in recent times.

There was nothing between the pair coming into the final in Nanjing — in their 12 previous encounters they had won six each.

And so it was in the first game too, as the rivals went toe-to-toe, the more attacking Marin, the seventh seed, bellowing after each winning point.

Third seed Sindhu, 23, well known for her never-say-die spirit, initially edged ahead before Marin dragged her back to 16-16.

It was too close to call and the chair umpire had a job on his hands as the two foes repeatedly tried to throw one another off on Marin’s serve — the Spaniard wanting to get on with the game quickly but Sindhu refusing to let her in an attempt to kill the momentum.

Sindhu hit into the net to allow Marin to capture the first game in 27 minutes and she took that momentum into the second to make history.

As well as disappointment at Rio 2016, Sindhu was beaten in last year’s World Championships final by Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara and had to settle for silver at this year’s Commonwealth Games too.

He will play China’s Shi Yuqi in Sunday’s Nanjing showpiece, which promises to be a thrilling showdown between two of badminton’s rising stars.

The women’s final tees up Spain’s Olympic champion Carolina Marin against P.V. Sindhu of India — a re-run of the 2016 Rio Games final.

The 23-year-old Momota’s highly promising career descended into controversy in 2016 when Japanese badminton chiefs suspended him for more than a year for visiting an illicit casino, denying him a place at Rio.

Momota has been working his way back to the top of badminton ever since and the world-ranked seven is currently in the form of his life.

He faced a dangerous challenge in his semi-final from Liew Daren, the unseeded Malaysian who was the tournament giant-killer.

Liew surged into a 5-0 lead in the first game but the explosive Momota woke up to seize the initiative — and ultimately the match — in style, 21-16, 21-5.

– ‘World class player’ –

Momota, the first Japanese man to reach a world championship final, put his sluggish start down to nerves.

“He was very fast and I did not adapt myself well to his pace,” he said, vowing not to repeat that in the final.

“Shi is a world-class player and all-rounder so it will be a very tough game.

“But I will be tenacious and the lesson I will take from today is that I need to take the initiative and not be passive.”

Liew, who became Malaysia’s standard-bearer in Nanjing in the absence of the ill world number two Lee Chong Wei, suffered a foot injury in his quarter-final and said it failed to fully heal.

“But I never expected this (reaching the semi-finals) so really happy,” he said.

Shi equally comfortably beat Chen Long to race into the final and confirm his newfound status as China’s best player.

The 22-year-old defeated Chinese legend Lin Dan on the way to the last four and has now claimed the scalp of Olympic champion Chen, who was chasing a third world title.

The brilliantly agile Shi taught Chen, 29, something of a lesson with a comprehensive 21-11, 21-17 victory.

Shi has a long way to go to emulate his more seasoned compatriots, but defeating Chen for just the second time was more evidence of a changing of the guard in Chinese men’s badminton.

– Heavy fall –

Marin, a two-time world champion, was a game down to He Bingjiao when the Chinese took a heavy fall at the start of the second.

The sound of her hitting the floor was clearly audible in the arena and she was prone for several seconds.

She gingerly picked herself up — to roars from the crowd — but He was never the same after that, Marin winning 13-21, 21-16, 21-13 as her foe’s game collapsed.

The sixth seed He said: “The fall was painful. I was not injured, but I was distracted by the pain.”

Sindhu booked a revenge mission against Marin after roaring back in a thrilling second game to defeat Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-16, 24-22.

“I hope this time will be a better result than last time,” the third seed said.

Germany’s Zverev, the oldest of the last four at 21, will play Sunday for the $384,120 (331,637 euros) top prize against the later winner between Russian Andrey Rublev, 20, and 19-year-old Australian Alex De Minaur.

“I’m playing great and hopefully I can win,” Zverev said. “I hope I get out there and play a good match and get to Toronto with another title.”

Zverev seeks his ninth career ATP title and third of the year after Munich and Madrid. He also was runner-up at Miami and Rome.

Top seed Zverev could join a Washington back-to-back champions list that includes Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro (2008-09) plus Americans Andre Agassi (1990-91 and 1998-99) and Michael Chang (1996-97).

Not since 1995 at Buenos Aires had the ATP seen a completely 21-and-under semi-final lineup and it’s a first in the Washington event’s half-century history.

“This is amazing for tennis,” Zverev said. “It’s good to see the young guns come up.”

It won’t quite be the youngest ATP final this year if De Minaur makes it. Combined ages would be two days older than the Aussie’s final in January at Sydney against Daniil Medvedev — the youngest ATP final since 20-year-old Rafael Nadal played 19-year-old Novak Djokovic in 2007 at Indian Wells.

Tsitsipas, 19, is ranked a career-high 32nd. He became the first Greek ATP finalist in 45 years in April at Barcelona and enjoyed the rise of the young guns this week.

“It’s good for the next generation,” Tsitsipas said. “I’d like to see this more often. I’m sure we’ll face each other for many years to come. It’s an evolution to the sport.”

Zverev broke in the third and fifth games of the opening set, which he took in 34 minutes with his third of five aces, the Greek slapping his forehand in frustration.

“I tried to rush him, play quicker so he’s not the one who’s playing aggressive,” Zverev said.

The German broke Tsitsipas again on his fourth chance during an epic 15-minute ninth game of the second set. Zverev held a final time to settle matters after 88 minutes.

“I had to be a bit more smart on my advantage points,” Tsitsipas said. “I got tight and I wanted to win it too badly. I will be learning from this.”

– Kuznetsova reaches final –

In the companion WTA event, two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia won 6-2, 6-2 twice to reach the final, first downing Kazakh eighth seed Yulia Putintseva in a match that had been halted by rain then dispatching Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.

World number 128 Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open champion as well as a 2014 Washington winner, will play for the title Sunday against either Croatian seventh seed Donna Vekic or China’s 85th-ranked Zheng Saisai.

Neither De Minaur nor Rublev has beaten Zverev, the Aussie falling in a Davis Cup fifth-set tie-breaker earlier this year and Rublev losing in straight sets in 2016 at Monaco and last year at Beijing.

Rublev, who won his only ATP title last year at Umag, beat American Denis Kudla 6-1, 6-4, in a quarter-final delayed from Friday by rain. Rublev, ranked 46th, only returned in July from a three-month layoff due to a lower back stress fracture.

De Minaur advanced by walkover when three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray withdrew Friday after his third grueling three-set victory in four days. Murray was in only his third event back after an 11-month spell out of action due to a right hip injury.

For WBC super flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, the hardships came early in life.

Growing up in Sisaket, Thailand is not always like the postcards portray as behind the historical infrastructures and natural wonders of the province are communities filled with poverty and struggle.

Born Wisaksil Wangek in real life, Rungvisai left his hometown at the age of 13 to look for odd jobs in the country’s capital of Bangkok.

Rungvisai initially worked as a security guard, but when the money was not enough to buy food, he searched for leftover food from the trash that he collected at a nearby department store.

“On some difficult days, I had to collect the food from trash to cook and eat to survive because I did not have enough money,” he shared.

To augment the family income, Rungvisai moonlighted as a competitor in Muay Thai, which is a revered combat sport in Thailand.

“As a young guy who didn’t have the right qualification to earn decent office jobs, fighting professionally was the only way I could get some money. It was also something I liked, and it was a fun challenge. I saw it as a way to help better my life and future,” he stated.

With his Muay Thai career going nowhere, Rungvisai discovered professional boxing, which gave him the impression that it could be his ticket out of poverty due to the sport’s profitability.

However, Rungvisai’s transition to boxing was not a walk in the park as he was knocked out in his first two bouts in 2009.

“I needed the money very badly, so I accepted the fight even though I didn’t have much time to prepare and didn’t really know how to box. I just knew that boxing has similarities to Muay Thai,” he recalled.

“There were only two paths to choose for me at that time” Rungvisai added. “One is to become a boxer and the other one is to keep on working as a trash collector, and I chose the path to become a boxer because there’s more hope at least. There’s some hope in this career.”

Rungvisai did not post a win until his fourth professional match in November 2009 when he scored a third-round knockout over compatriot Prakaipech Aunsawan.

After suffering another loss to Japanese Kenji Oba in February 2010, Rungvisai joined Nakornloung Promotion (NKL) camp, the team that built several World Champions for Thailand, and reeled off 26-straight victories, including an eighth-round stoppage of Yota Sato to clinch the WBC super flyweight title in May 2013.

Although his impressive winning streak was halted by Mexico’s Carlos Cuadras in May 2014, Rungvisai established another series of triumphs, winning 19 in-ring contests with 16 coming by way of knockout.

During that remarkable stretch, Rungvisai recaptured the WBC super flyweight belt by pulling off an upset win against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez of Nicaragua via majority decision in March 2017.

Rungvisai’s astonishing conquest of Gonzalez earned him a spot in The Ring Magazine’s international pound-for-pound rankings, where he currently occupies the No. 7 seat.

“I never thought that I would come this far or even get to be a world champion. I only aspired to win a regional title and maybe get on television. I wound up doing so much more,” Rungvisai disclosed.

After successfully defending the green-laced strap twice and making a quick work of South Korea’s Young Gil Bae in a non-title tilt last July 21, Rungvisai is set to make his debut at ONE Championship.

A mixed martial arts organization that was established in 2011, ONE Championship recently announced its partnership with Nakornloung Promotion (NKL) to co-promote the next title defense of Rungvisai.

“I am happy and honored to take part in this historical ONE Championship’s event. I was at ONE Championship’s event in Bangkok earlier this year, and it blew my mind with its world-class production, entertainment, and fights. I would also like to thank everyone who made this possible,” he conveyed.

Rungvisai puts his WBC super flyweight crown on the line against a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the main event of ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which takes place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on October 6.

Considering the lowest times that forced him to eat from the garbage heap to the heights he has reached as a boxer, Rungvisai owes it to the sport that gave him a second shot at life.

“Boxing has given me everything I have in life. I owe everything I have — all my success — to boxing. It has helped me become more disciplined, and it has taught me the value of hard work,” he explained

As he opens a new chapter in his professional boxing career, Rungvisai hopes to become another shining example that a diligent individual can achieve his or her dream, no matter where he or she comes from.

“I know how difficult it is. I do not want people to be discouraged. We cannot choose our lives, but we can choose to change it and work for our dreams,” he concluded.

On 13-under-par, she led by one from English home favourite Georgia Hall, with South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon a further shot back on 11-under.

Hall, who holed a string of great putts, had five birdies in a 69 to maintain high hopes of improving on last year’s tie for third and become the first British winner since Scotland’s Catriona Matthew triumphed at Lytham nine years ago.

Pornanong has missed six cuts from seven previous appearances in the championship and her best result in a major is a tie for seventh in the 2014 US Women’s Open.

But after two scores of 67 sent her one stroke ahead of the field at the halfway point, the 28-year-old had another exquisite round of four birdies. Her only error in 54 holes came with a bogey at the short 12th, where she failed to get up and down from a bunker.

Attired in a brightly patterned skirt and using a pink ball, Pornanong certainly brought some colour to the championship. And her game shone.

She hardly missed a fairway and holed putts for birdies on the third, sixth, eighth and 11th greens.

“I feel very happy right now,” she said after the round. “I was a bit nervous but enjoyed it. I’m playing with a lot of confidence. My record isn’t good in the British, but I get more experience every year.

“I’m going to try and keep doing the same things tomorrow and try and stay relaxed.”

Hall was not at her best on Saturday.

“My long-game timing was out on the first nine, but I was pleased with three-under,” said the 22-year-old, who holed from 12 feet for birdie at the last. “It was hard work, but I was so happy with the way I was putting.

“I did more putting than normal before I went out and I think that was the key. I’ll do the same tomorrow. It was also so nice having so much support from the crowd.”

– Ryu shoots 67 –

Ryu, a two-time major winner, made a Saturday move with a joint-best-of-the-day 67. Two-over after four holes, she then hit a purple patch with birdies at five out of six holes from the fifth. More followed at the 12th and 15th.

“I first played this tournament in 2012 and, since then, it’s become the one that I want to win,” said the 2011 US Women’s Open winner, who added a second major at the 2017 ANA Inspiration.

“There is so much tradition and history. Today I started putting poorly and then started to make everything. I’m in a good position going into Sunday.”

Australia’s Minjee Lee and Japan’s Mamiko Higa were tied for second with Hall overnight and they both shot 71 to slip to joint-fourth on 10-under alongside South Korea’s Park Sung-hyun (69).

Kim In-kyung, the defending champion, fell back to one-under-par after a disappointing 74, while world number one Ariya Jutanugarn, the 2016 winner, had a fine 69 for six-under.

Atthaya Thitikul, the only amateur to make the cut, had a tough day. The 15-year-old Thai propped up the field after a 79 for seven-over-par.

“FC Barcelona and FC Bayern Munich have reached an agreement for the transfer of player Arturo Vidal,” said Barcelona on their website.

“The agreement is for the next three seasons and is pending the medical examination that the player will undertake over the course of the next few days.

“FC Barcelona will shortly inform everyone about the arrival of the player and the agenda of the presentation ceremony.”

Vidal, 31, was whisked away from Bayern’s pre-season training base on Friday morning with the club’s director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic to finalise the details.

Vidal will reportedly earn around nine million euros per season with the Spanish giants.

His arrival will make up for the surprise departure of Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, who Barcelona loaned to Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande.

Barcelona had to move fast to sign Vidal as the player had also reportedly sparked interest from Inter Milan following the departure of their French midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

Temperamental on and off the pitch, Vidal’s last season with Bayern was marked by injuries, including one to his knee which he picked up during training and which forced him to undergo surgery in April.

Vidal is the Barcelona’s fourth signing since the end of the last season following the arrival of Brazilian forward Malcolm, Brazilian midfielder Arthur and French defender Clement Lenglet.

The Chilean international joined Bayern Munich in 2015 from Juventus, and won the Bundesliga title in each of his three seasons at the club.

German champions Bayern have been keen to trim their star-studded squad.

Having signed Germany international Leon Goretzka, 23, on a free transfer from Schalke, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said earlier this week that they had too many midfielders.

The glorified friendly between the league champions and the FA Cup winners has been a notoriously poor predictor of success in recent years — no winner has gone on to be crowned champions in the same season since Manchester United in 2010-11.

The game, likely to be played in sizzling summer temperatures in London, is set to feature various youngsters and fringe players as World Cup stars ease their way back into club action.

But whatever the line-ups, there are plenty of talking points and the game will be closely watched for clues as domestic football reclaims centre stage just three weeks after the World Cup final in Russia.

Can Manchester City pick up where they left off last season or will they have a serious challenger?

Will new manager Maurizio Sarri be able to revive FA Cup winners Chelsea, who finished fifth last season after winning the title the previous year under Antonio Conte?

One question for City fans is how manager Pep Guardiola will deploy Riyad Mahrez — the only significant addition to their already-impressive list of forward options during the summer transfer window.

The manager has confirmed his record £60 million ($78 million) signing is in contention to start the match after he was forced off during last weekend’s final match of the US pre-season tour against Bayern Munich.

“Mahrez is good. He had a little bit of pain but he trained day before yesterday — I think so (he can play on Sunday),” said Guardiola, who twice outwitted Sarri in the Champions League last season when the Italian was managing Napoli.

Most of the players who were on duty at the World Cup have now returned to training but Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne are still on their post-Russia breaks.

The City manager also revealed how much he was looking forward to locking horns with Sarri, who replaced Conte last month.

“I am happy that he is here in the Premier League,” Guardiola said. “I will learn a lot to see his team every weekend. I saw three games — he gets it, the team in a short time plays like he wants.

“I think it will be a good game, always Chelsea is a big rival. Antonio was, Maurizio will be too. The style of play will be perfect for English football.”

Guardiola admitted the match comes at a tricky time without his full complement of players but said City were prepared and would target their fifth Community Shield win. Both sides have four victories apiece in the fixture.

– Courtois speculation –

For Chelsea, Cesc Fabregas is a doubt with a minor knee injury.

And France World Cup winners N’Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud, Belgium trio Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Michy Batshuayi, plus England’s Gary Cahill, are yet to return following the World Cup.

Sarri suggested a similar side to the one that featured in pre-season would play at Wembley, meaning 17-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi could be included.

The 59-year-old is eager to do well but he acknowledges the size of the task against the Premier League champions.

Sarri, who has not won a trophy in his career, said: “The match for us is very difficult for one reason: they have worked all together for two years. We started two and a half weeks ago.

“I want to win, because it’s very important to have immediately a trophy. But in this moment of the season it’s very important, the performance.”

There has been speculation in the past few weeks over a number of Chelsea’s most high-profile players, with goalkeeper Courtois and midfielders Willian and Hazard all linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge.

Sarri said he was confident that Brazil playmaker Willian would remain at the club but was less sure over the future of Courtois.

City face Arsenal away on August 12 in a high-profile start to their Premier League title defence while Chelsea have an away trip to Huddersfield the previous day.

The 31-year-old British star, who returned in June from an 11-month layoff with a right hip injury, also withdrew from next week’s ATP Toronto Masters, also citing the drain from three grueling three-set victories over more than eight hours on the US capital hardcourts.

“I’m exhausted after playing so much over the last four days, having not competed on the hard courts for 18 months,” Murray said. “I also need to be careful and to listen to my body as I come back from a long-term injury.”

Murray, whose last prior hardcourt appearance was in March 2017 at Indian Wells, played only two June grasscourt events in his comeback prior to coming to Washington, where he played three of the week’s four longest matches.

“I’ve played quite a few matches this week in Washington and I need to be smart with my rest and recovery as I come back from injury,” Murray said.

The Scotsman, whose next US Open hardcourt tuneup event will be the Cincinnati Masters starting August 13, was upset following his 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Romanian Marius Copil at having been forced to play from midnight to 3 a.m. — the latest finish in the Washington event’s 50-year history.

“I don’t think I should be put in a position like that,” Murray said after the victory. “(My body) doesn’t feel great right now.

“Finishing matches at three in the morning isn’t good for anyone involved in the event, players, TV, fans, anyone. When you’re expected to come back and perform the next day, I think that’s unreasonable.”

Murray said in the pre-dawn hours he might withdraw, adding, “I don’t know how players are expected to recover. It’s a very difficult position to be coming back from a long injury to be finishing matches at 3 o’clock in the morning.”

– Andy ‘gutted’ to withdraw –

In a statement released by the event, Murray expressed more disappointment at being unable to continue.

“I’m gutted not to be playing and I’d like to thank the tournament and all the fans,” he said. “There are lots of positives to take from this week, so I’ll take some time to rest and recover and then head to Cincinnati early to prepare and get ready.”

After the match, a shattered-looking  Murray wept into a towel for several minutes, calling it, “just the emotions coming at the end of an extremely long day and a long match,” Murray said.

Murray’s pullout handed a walkover into the semi-finals to 19-year-old Australian Alex De Minaur, who ousted 11th seed Steve Johnson and eighth seed Chung Hyeon, both on Thursday.

– Role model Murray leaves –

Tournament director Keely O’Brien had told the Washington Post she wanted Murray to play, citing his role model status.

“Certainly if he can’t play because of his injury, that’s one thing. But he’s a fighter, and he doesn’t give up, and he needs to have everyone see that,” she said.

After Murray’s announcement, O’Brien said she expected Murray would return next year.

“I am so grateful that Andy, an incredible champion, came back to DC to begin what we all know will be a great comeback,” she said. “I sincerely respect his decision and know that his health and recovery process is his top priority, as it should be.”

In her first seven appearances at the tournament the Thai player made just a single cut but the turnaround at Royal Lytham and St Annes has been dramatic.

The 28-year-old has completed 36 holes without one bogey and is the leader on 10-under par.

Pornanong is one shot clear of group of three players — England’s Georgia Hall, Japan’s Mamiko Higa and the first-round leader, Australia’s Minjee Lee.

“If someone had told me I was going to go 67, 67 I would have thought ‘wow’,” said Pornanong.

“I have always found links courses really hard,” admitted the player who finished tied-27th when she did make the cut at Royal Birkdale in 2014.

“This is my first time at Lytham and I’ve played really well, managed to stay out of trouble and my putting was very good. I am so happy. But now I am going to rest tonight, watch some Thai dramas and try and stay relaxed.”

Pornanong, a 16-time winner on tours in Thailand, Asia and Europe, admits she has been inspired by the Jutanugarn sisters — Moriya and world number one Ariya — who have boosted women’s golf in her home country. Ariya won this title at Woburn two years ago.

“They have both won on the LPGA Tour,” she said. “It has made us all think that we can do it too. A lot of girls are now playing golf in Thailand. I got it into because of my Dad — he is golf crazy.”

– Not the longest hitter –

Slight of build, Pornanong is not the longest hitter. But she packed five woods into her bag and plotted her way to birdies at the fourth, sixth, seventh, 10th and 16th holes in her flawless second round.

Australia’s Lee looked set to retain her overnight lead but a double-bogey — she went from one greenside bunker to another — at the 16th and a bogey at the 17th left her having to settle for a 70 and a nine-under total.

Hall, with a second-round 68, matched Pornanong’s feat of negotiating two rounds without a bogey.

“That’s my longest streak ever without dropping a shot,” said the delighted 22-year-old, who is aiming to become the first British winner since Catriona Matthew at Lytham in 2009.

Matthew is not out of it. The 48-year-old Scot moved to three-under-par after a second-round 70 that included a chip-in eagle at the 15th and a holed bunker shot for a birdie at the last.

Ariya Jutanugarn was also on three-under-par following a 70, and Kim In-kyung, the defending champion, was on the same mark.

A golden run of birdie-eagle-birdie from hole five helped Higa to a 69 and the share of second place. “These three holes were the key today,” she admitted. “I feel really good going into the weekend.”

Canada’s Brooke Henderson had a hole-in-one at the ninth — Florentyna Parker had an ace at the same hole in round one – and shot a 70 for five-under.

The cut fell on one over par and those that missed out included Evian champion Anna Nordqvist and 2015 British Open champion Park Inbee.

The only amateur to make the cut was Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul after the 15-year-old shot 71 for level par to assure herself of winning the Smyth Salver.