Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying is guaranteed a medal at the World Championships in Spain after a quarter-final win against India’s P.V. Sindhu yesterday.
Tai has never won a World Championship medal, having never advanced past the quarters.
She reversed that with a composed 21-17, 21-13 win in 42 minutes at the Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marin in Huelva.
Photo: AFP
The world No. 1 said that she was satisfied with her play.
“More than winning the World Championships medal, I’m happy with the way I played,” Tai told the Badminton World Federation Web site. “I didn’t have a lot of mistakes and that makes me very happy and satisfied.”
Tai faces He Bingjiao of China in the semi-finals today.
In the men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Olympic gold medalists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin were still playing as of press time last night.
They won the first game of their quarter-final against ninth seeds Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia 21-12, but dropped the second 17-21.
Lee and Wang on Thursday fought their way into the quarter-finals after a scare in game 2, defeating Malaysians Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 21-18, 17-21, 21-18 in a thrilling 68-minute match.
The Olympic champions improved their head-to-head record against Goh and Izzuddin to 1-1 after losing to them at the Indonesian Open last month.
Thursday’s match was fierce in the opening game, with the scores tied eight times before Lee and Wang pulled ahead to reach game point at 20-18.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang unleashed a series of smashes to pocket the first game.
The scores remained close in game 2, but the Malaysians reached game point at 20-17 before a wide shot by Wang made it 1-1.
However, the Taiwanese regrouped in the rubber to hold a two-point advantage 11-9 at the break.
Goh and Izzuddin tied the score at 17-17 before Lee and Wang won the next three points to reach match point at 20-17.
The Malaysians saved the first point, but conceded the second, ending the contest.
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