Taiwan badminton star clinches gold at India Open

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.”

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