Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying on Friday was knocked out in the women’s singles quarter-finals at her last Taipei Open.
The world No. 3 lost 21-18, 16-21, 22-24 to Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia in a match that stretched 68 minutes at the Taipei Arena.
Despite her higher ranking, Tai said she was not too sad about the loss, given her struggle with a lingering knee injury.
Photo: CNA
“Wins and losses are just part of the game. Actually, I think I’m going to lose every single match considering my condition now,” said the five-time champion of the Super 300 event, who has announced plans to retire at the end of this season.
Friday’s match marked the end of her last professional tournament at home. Nearly 8,000 people were at the stadium to cheer for the surprised 30-year-old.
“It’s a weekday after all, but I’m really glad that so many people came to watch the matches,” Tai said, adding that she hoped more people would cheer on the players on the final two days of the tournament.
Photo: CNA
Wardani yesterday defeated Taiwan’s Chiu Pin-chian 16-21, 21-16, 21-11 to reach the final against South Korea’s Sim Yu-jin.
In other games yesterday, Chi Yu-jen stunned Chou Tien-chen with a 19-21, 21-11, 21-17 upset in their men’s singles semi-final, ending the world No. 2’s pursuit of a fifth Taipei title.
In the final today, Chi faces Lin Chun-yi, who beat fellow Taiwanese Lee Chia-hao 21-12, 21-19.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan’s Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin had a disappointing end to their tournament after an injury forced them out of their mixed doubles semi-final against Thai pair Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Phataimas Muenwong.
On Friday, Ye and Lee Chia-hsin had edged one step closer to their first championship of the year with a 21-19, 21-14 victory over compatriots Lin Bing-wei and Lin Chih-chun.
However, Lee Chia-hsin sustained an ankle sprain shortly after their semi-final began yesterday. She played out the first game, which the Taiwanese pair lost 21-19, but was forced to withdraw before the start of the second.
Photo: CNA
“I did not expect it to end like this,” she said afterward.
“I hope it gets better quickly,” she said, adding that she hopes to compete in Hong Kong next week and in China from Sept. 17.
Teeraratsakul and Muenwong face Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang in today’s final after the Taiwanese pair ousted compatriots Lai Po-yu and Lin Xiao-min 21-7, 21-17.
In the men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Chiang Chien-wei and Wu Hsuan-yi defeated fellow Taiwanese Liu Kuang-heng and Yang Po-han 21-17, 21-19 to set up a final against Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan of Taiwan, who eliminated French pair Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi 21-10, 21-11.
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