Taiwan competitors clinched two titles at the Yonex French Open Oct. 29 in Paris, marking the first time that the nation’s athletes have secured multiple crowns at a Badminton World Federation Superseries tournament.
World No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying won the women’s singles final in just 31 minutes with an impressive 21:4, 21:16 victory over Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. Later the same day, Lee Jhe-huei and Lee Yang claimed the men’s doubles by defeating Danish duo Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen 21:19, 23:21.
Tai, who earned US$24,375 for her first French Open title, dominated the first set before playing outstanding defensive badminton against world No. 5 Yamaguchi. The game was the 10th encounter between two of the sports leading stars, with the head-to-head record now standing at five wins apiece.
According to Tai, victory was especially pleasing as she was carrying a shoulder injury during the tournament. The Taiwan star overcome this to deliver exceptional performances throughout, showing particular determination in the semifinal Oct. 28 to secure a hard-fought 21:14, 17:21, 21:8 win over last year’s champion He Bingjiao of mainland China.
While Tai has now claimed nine Superseries titles, the French Open marked the inaugural success for the Lees. The Taiwan pair, ranked No. 8 in the world, won prize money totaling US$25,675 for their surprise victory over the No. 2 ranked Danish duo.
According to Lee Yang, he and his partner had initially set themselves the modest goal of advancing beyond the first round, with the pair agreeing to take each of the following encounters as they came. “So when we clinched the title, we were both ecstatic. It feels incredible to have actually pulled it off,” he said.
Organized by the French Badminton Federation, this year’s French Open was held Oct. 24-29 at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium. The event featured more than 300 athletes from over 30 countries and welcomed some 13,500 spectators, according to organizers. (KWS-E)
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