Taiwan’s top badminton men’s doubles pair yesterday won another title in Bangkok at the Toyota Thailand Open, but world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) once again lost to Spain’s Carolina Marin in the women’s singles.
For the second week in a row, Taiwan’s top players in the women’s singles and the men’s doubles competed in the finals in Bangkok, which is hosting three Badminton World Federation (BWF) tournaments, the last of which ends on Sunday.
The world No. 6 pairing of Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) triumphed again in the men’s doubles, beating world No. 9 duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia 21-13, 21-18 in 36 minutes.
Photo: AFP / Badminton Association of Thailand
Lee and Wang, who only last week became the first Taiwanese team to win an HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000 title, bagged US$74,000 in prize money.
Lee, who has been partnered with Wang since 2019, said after the match that they had kept egging each other on “to enjoy each match” since they arrived in Thailand at the beginning of the month.
Wang said that he had no words to describe how happy he felt to win two consecutive titles.
Photo: AFP / Badminton Association of Thailand
The women’s singles were a repeat of the Yonex Thailand Open final on Jan. 17, as Tai once again met 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist Marin.
Marin has not lost a game in nine matches over the past two weeks in Thailand.
In a much tighter contest than the first final on Jan. 17, Marin claimed the first game 21-19.
Photo: AFP / Badminton Association of Thailand
Tai appeared to lose her confidence early in the second set, as a dangerous Marin asserted her dominance.
Tai saved four match points, but her comeback was too late, as Marin sealed her victory 21-17.
“I feel extremely happy. Two victories in two weeks, it’s an amazing way to start the year,” Marin said. “I said to myself and my team that for 2021 I was going to be a new player, with a new mindset with more focus on the game.”
Tai acknowledged that she could not match Marin’s pace.
“I couldn’t prevent myself from making unforced errors,” she said.
Meanwhile in the men’s singles final, Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen ran rings around his compatriot Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus, triumphing 21-11, 21-7.
The women’s doubles was an all-South Korean affair with sixth-ranked Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong too strong against fourth-ranked Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan 21-18, 21-19.
Thailand’s third seeds Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh won their second tournament in a row, outclassing sixth-ranked South Koreans Seo Seung-ae and Chae Yujung in the mixed doubles to win 21-16, 22-20 in 46 minutes.
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