Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying defended her title at the Badminton Asia Championships April 29 in Wuhan, mainland China, becoming the first female athlete in a decade to win back-to-back singles victories at the continent’s most prestigious tournament.
Tai beat world No. 5 Chen Yufei of mainland China 21-19, 22-20 in the final to take home the crown and prize money of US$26,250. The 42-minute match was a close-fought affair, with the lead changing hands multiple times in both sets.
The 23-year-old Taiwan player has won all eight professional encounters against the rising mainland Chinese athlete. Their last matchup came at the 2018 Yonex All England Open in March, when Tai defeated the 20-year-old in the semis on her way to retaining that title.
After the final, Tai was quick to praise her opponent, noting that Chen is constantly improving and victory was far from easy. “I had to tell myself to keep cool and make the least mistakes,” the star said, adding that she will continue to work on her game.
Victory at the Badminton Asia Championships was Tai’s third of the season following wins at the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters in Jakarta and Yonex All England Open in Birmingham. The latest title, achieved without dropping a set, is expected to propel her back to the top of the world rankings.
Tai fell to second spot April 19 due to an alteration in the Badminton World Federation’s scoring system. Before the change, she had held the No. 1 position since clinching the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships Nov. 27, 2016.
Born in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City, Tai has enjoyed a stellar career since debuting in 2009 and becoming the country’s youngest ever top-ranked player at age 16. She was the first Taiwan winner of the women’s singles title at the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals in 2014 and triumphed at the event again in 2016. (CPY-E)
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