Tai Tzu-ying yesterday defeated Hsu Wen-chi 21-14, 21-17 in the semi-finals of the women’s singles at the Yonex Taipei Open, advancing to the championship match at the Super 300 Series event for the fifth time and giving her a shot at a third title this year.
Tai defeated her third fellow Taiwanese in a row at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium with the semi-final win, but faces Saena Kawakami in the final today after the Japanese ousted compatriot Natsuki Nidaira 21-13, 21-11 in their semi-final.
Hsu on Friday beat Lauren Lam of the US 18-21, 21-15, 21-15 to reach her first Super Series top-four match. She made Tai work early in the first game, picking up the first three points.
Photo: Fang Bin-chao, Taipei Times
However, mistakes marred her later efforts and Tai quickly made it 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 before pulling away for good.
Tai showed her firepower early in the second game, sweeping to a 6-0 lead, and although Hsu put together a string of seven points on match point, Tai eventually won 21-17 to put her in a position to add to her titles this year at the Thailand Open and the Indonesia Open.
There is to be another Taiwan-Japan clash in the final of the men’s singles, with Chou Tien-chen to play Kodai Naraoka.
Photo: Fang Bin-chao, Taipei Times
Chou defeated Soong Joo Ven 21-12, 21-12 in 42 minutes, with the Malaysian enjoying only a single moment in front when he went up 1-0 in game 2. Chou showed some deft touches, with one rally featuring a look-away shot on a pirouette followed by a diving save before Soong hit long.
Naraoka had a tougher time in his semi-final, pushed all the way in a 21-19, 22-20 win against Lin Chun-yi from Pingtung County’s Fangliao Township.
In the women’s doubles, Ng Tsz Yau and Tsang Hiu Yan defeated Taiwanese pair Sung Shuo-yun and Yu Chien-hui 21-19, 21-15, with the Hong Kongers booking a place in the final against Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato, who ousted fellow Japanese pair Sayaka Hobara and Hinata Suzuki 21-7, 10-21, 21-15.
Photo: Fang Bin-chao, Taipei Times
In the mens’ doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin defeated one Malaysian pair to book a place in the decider with another.
They eliminated Boon Xin Yuan and Wong Tien Ci 21-10, 21-14 yesterday and today face Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, who beat Taiwan’s Su Ching-heng and Ye Hong-wei 21-13, 22-20.
In the mixed doubles, Hong Kong’s Reginald Lee and Ng beat Hoo Pang Ron and Toh Ee Wei of Malaysia 21-17, 17-21, 21-12, while Thailand’s Ruttanapak Oupthong and Chasinee Korepap defeated Chang Ko-chi and Lee Chih-chen of Taiwan 21-15, 23-21.
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