Both Taiwanese bids for gold medals in the tennis at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, ended in failure yesterday after mixed doubles duo Peng Hsien-yin (彭賢尹) and Chan Hao-ching (詹皓晴) and women’s doubles pairing Chan Chin-wei (詹謹偉) and Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) had to settle for silver medals, while Taiwanese cyclist Hsiao Mei-yu (蕭美玉) followed up her gold-medal-winning performance on the track in the women’s omnium by claiming bronze in the women’s road race.
Top seeds Peng and Chan Hao-ching were defeated by Indian second seeds Saketh Sai Myneni and Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-3 in 44 minutes in the mixed doubles final.
Chan Hao-ching was the runner-up in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon earlier this year and she has picked up two women’s doubles titles on the WTA Tour, at the Aegon International in Eastbourne, England, and at the Malaysian Open.
Photo: Taipei Times
She also has an Asian Games gold medal in the women’s team competition.
Chan Chin-wei and Hsieh, who were also eyeing their second gold medals of the Games following the victory over China in the women’s team final, were beaten 5-7, 6-3, 10-3 by Thai duo Luksika Kumkhum and Tamarine Tanasugarn in 1 hour, 40 minutes at the at the Yeorumul Tennis Courts.
Earlier, Hsiao claimed her second medal of the Games after finishing third in a bunch sprint at the end of the women’s road race, while fellow Taiwanese Huang Ting-ying (黃亭茵) finished in fifth place.
Thailand’s Jutatip Maneephan claimed the gold and Vietnam’s Thi That Nguyen the silver.
In the softball, Taiwan won both of their games in Group A yesterday, edging the Philippines 5-4, before crushing Thailand 8-0 in five innings.
In the table tennis, Taiwan’s men’s team of Chen Chien-an (陳建安), Chuang Chih-yuan (莊智淵) and Chiang Hung-chieh (江宏傑) failed to grab their chance to compete for the gold medal after losing 3-1 to hosts South Korea in their semi-final.
In the volleyball, Taiwan’s men defeated Hong Kong 3-0 in their Group G playoff.
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