Tai Tzu-ying yesterday emphatically beat 19-year-old Tanya Hemanth at the Taipei Open.
Tai defeated the world No. 57 Indian 21-11, 21-6 in just 29 minutes at the University Of Taipei’s Tianmu Arena to move into the quarter-finals of the women’s singles.
It was her 17th consecutive win at the Taipei Open as she seeks her first BWF title this season.
Photo: CNA
Tai has won the Taipei Open four times and has a decade of experience over Hermanth, who started well in game 1. It was 11-8 at the break, but Tai put together a string of points to pull away and close out the game.
However, it was all one-way traffic from there as Tai shot out to 9-0 in game 2 and closed it out comfortably.
Tai won in Taipei in 2012, 2016, 2018 and last year. She lost to Li Xuerui of China in the semi-finals in 2015, but has not lost since in the years she has played the tournament.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
In the quarter-finals today, Tai faces Thailand’s Supanida Katethong, who beat Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-15, 21-14.
Hemanth is not the youngest player seeking to unseat Tai. Thailand’s Pitchamon Opatniputh, who is just 16, also advanced to the quarter-finals with a 23-21, 21-17 win against Taiwan’s Huang Yu-hsun.
Opatniputh told the Central News Agency that this is her first trip to Taiwan and that she has fallen in love with fried squid in Taipei’s night markets.
Asked about her win yesterday, she said she was surprised to have made it this far.
“Actually, I originally expected to only be in the first round,” she said. “I didn’t expect to make it to the top eight. I feel very excited and proud.”
Opatniputh said that her father, a badminton coach, would take her to training, which is why she took up the sport.
“My goal is to move toward the top 10 in the world and win world championships and Olympic medals,” she said. “I have many idols, such as Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon and Tai Tzu-ying.”
“I hope I get to play Tai this time,” she added.
In the men’s singles, Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi upset compatriot Chou Tien-chen 21-19, 11-21, 21-15.
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