Taiwan world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying defended her women’s singles title at the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships March 18 in Birmingham, becoming the first female athlete in a decade to claim back-to-back singles victories at the prestigious tournament.
Tai overcame world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 22-20, 21-13 in a hard-fought final. The pair was evenly matched in a scintillating first set, with Tai displaying a champion’s poise to come back from 20-19 down to secure the opening frame.
Her confidence soaring, the Taiwan star played some dazzling badminton to convincingly claim the second set and cement her position atop the world rankings. She has held the No. 1 spot since clinching the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships Nov. 27, 2016.
Speaking after the match, Tai was quick to praise Yamaguchi, with whom she shares a fierce rivalry. “I didn’t think I could finish the match quickly. All I could do was to be patient, deliver a good performance and keep running with her,” said the Taiwan star, who has now won six of their 11 meetings.
Tai, who dropped just one set throughout the tournament, also expressed gratitude for the strong support she received from fans in attendance. “I think from day one, every time I stepped on court, I heard the crowd cheering for me,” she said. “I’m happy to win here again. It feels really good this time and I really enjoy playing in the All England.”
Among those offering their congratulations to the star was President Tsai Ing-wen. In a tweet on her official Twitter account, the president said, “In the badminton world, Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying is the best of the best,” adding that the people of Taiwan are proud of the athlete.
The All England Open, first held in 1899, it is the world’s oldest badminton competition. A Badminton World Federation-sanctioned Superseries Premier event, the 2018 edition ran March 14-18 at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena. (OC-E)
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