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.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or