Taiwanese badminton player Tai Tzu-ying yesterday tried to coast through her second group match at the Olympic Games, but got a bit of a scare against a Vietnamese ranked 49th in the world before righting the ship and prevailing.
World No. 1 Tai defeated Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-16, 21-11 in her second match in Group P, moving her one win away from a spot in the women’s singles quarter-finals.
Playing somewhat nonchalantly at the start of the match, Tai could not shake off the consistent Vietnamese, making several unforced errors.
Photo: AP
Down 16-14 and in danger of letting the first game get away, Tai sped up the pace of the points and went on the attack, winning the final seven points against her tiring opponent.
That momentum carried over to the second game, when Tai was never troubled.
The world No. 1 is competing in her third consecutive Olympics and is hoping to win a medal for the first time.
She was knocked out in the round-of-16 at the London Games in 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
The three-time All England Open winner would need to tighten her game if she is to beat world No. 2 Chen Yu Fei of China, who on Sunday decimated an opponent in about 20 minutes.
Tokyo could be Tai’s last shot at an Olympic gold, as the 27-year-old, who began training professionally when she was in grade three of primary school, has hinted that she might retire after the Games.
Earlier in the men’s doubles, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin crushed their British opponents, earning their first win at the Games.
Lee and Wang knocked out Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 21-17, 21-14 in a Group A match that took a mere 35 minutes.
In the men’s doubles, 16 teams have been divided into four groups, with only the top two of each group qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The Taiwanese duo lost to India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in their first match on Saturday.
In the final group match today they face world No. 1 pairing Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia, who yesterday thrashed the Indian duo 21-13, 21-12.
“We couldn’t find a way to win,” Rankireddy said of the match.
The Taiwanese duo will likely have to beat the Indonesians to advance, with the Indian pairing facing Vendy and Lane in their final group match.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely