Taiwan badminton star clinches gold at India Open
![Tai Tzu-ying wins at Indian open badminton](https://i0.wp.com/taiwanenglishnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/tai-tzu-ying.jpg?resize=800%2C445&ssl=1)
Lyon Chiang: Taipei
In the opening two tournaments of the new season, Taiwan’s badminton “queen,” Tai Tzu-ying, reached the finals on both occasions. Yesterday, she secured her first championship of the season at the India Open.
Overcoming a 6-point deficit in the first game, she ultimately defeated her formidable opponent, Chen Yufei, ranked 2nd in the world, with a score of 21-16, 21-12. This marked her first appearance in the final of the India Open, and she clinched the gold trophy.
Tai Tzu-ying, ranked 3rd in the world, and Chen Yufei have faced each other 26 times, including their three-game showdown at the Tokyo Olympics. Their most recent encounter was in the quarterfinals of last week’s Malaysia Open, where Tai Tzu-ying staged a comeback victory in three sets.
In their rematch just a week later, Tai Tzu-ying initially fell behind 1-7 due to errors but quickly leveled the score by winning six consecutive points. In the second game, she consistently led and held an 11-5 advantage at the technical timeout. She ultimately sealed the victory with a score of 21-12 in just 42 minutes, securing her 19th win in their 27th meeting.
With her first-ever India Open title in her career, Tai Tzu-ying earned a prize of $59,500 (approximately NT$1.86 million), bringing her total BWF championship count to 32.
Despite her success, she acknowledged that her condition was not optimal, stating, “I feel that both of us were a bit tired by the second week, and our mobility wasn’t as good. It seems like we were relying on our abilities to pull through.”
![Taiwan badminton player Tai Tzu-ying displays trophy and gold medal after winning India Open Women's final](https://i0.wp.com/taiwanenglishnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png?resize=660%2C491&ssl=1)
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