Badminton’s world No. 2 Tai Tzu-ying yesterday exacted revenge against Olympic champion Chen Yufei by winning the Thailand Open women’s singles title in a rematch of their final in Tokyo.
The Taiwanese 27-year-old, who lost last year’s Thailand Open final to Spain’s Carolina Marin, got off to a fast start against the Chinese world No. 4 and eventually sealed the win 21-15, 17-21, 21-12.
She sped into a nine-point lead in the first game, but Chen, who was part of a Chinese team narrowly defeated by South Korea in last week’s Uber Cup in Bangkok, clawed her way back to take the second game and force a decider.
Photo: AFP
Tai then quickly opened up a seven-point lead in the final game and rode the momentum to claim victory.
With the win, Tai extended her head-to-head advantage to 16-4 over Chen, to whom she lost in Tokyo in a marathon 81 minutes.
In an interview with the Central News Agency after the match, Tai said that making fewer errors had been key to her victory.
“It was not easy to attack on offense, and Chen Yufei’s defense put a lot of pressure on my running,” Tai said.
“As long as you make fewer mistakes, you will be better at playing, and if you make more mistakes, you will easily lose the game,” Tai said.
Tai reeled in seven consecutive points to build a 15-7 advantage in the first game, maintaining a comfortable cushion before clinching the opener 21-15.
In a heavily contested second game, Tai was down 17-10 before capturing six consecutive points to reduce the deficit to 17-16.
However, Chen eventually triumphed 21-17 to force the match into a decisive final game.
In the third game, Tai scored seven consecutive points to build up an 11-4 lead, and, after changing sides, climbed ahead 19-12. She then executed a perfectly timed drop shot to reach championship point.
Staying on the front foot, Tai went into full attack mode, securing the title after sending two consecutive smashes down the line, the second a deke that left a flat-footed Chen on the floor.
The win puts some gloss on what has been a less than stellar season for Tai, who bowed out in the last 16 at the German Open in the middle of March, finished third at the All-England Championships the same month and lost to world No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi at the Uber Cup team tournament last week.
Additional reporting by CNA
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS