Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying on Friday was knocked out in the women’s singles quarter-finals at her last Taipei Open.
The world No. 3 lost 21-18, 16-21, 22-24 to Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia in a match that stretched 68 minutes at the Taipei Arena.
Despite her higher ranking, Tai said she was not too sad about the loss, given her struggle with a lingering knee injury.
Photo: CNA
“Wins and losses are just part of the game. Actually, I think I’m going to lose every single match considering my condition now,” said the five-time champion of the Super 300 event, who has announced plans to retire at the end of this season.
Friday’s match marked the end of her last professional tournament at home. Nearly 8,000 people were at the stadium to cheer for the surprised 30-year-old.
“It’s a weekday after all, but I’m really glad that so many people came to watch the matches,” Tai said, adding that she hoped more people would cheer on the players on the final two days of the tournament.
Photo: CNA
Wardani yesterday defeated Taiwan’s Chiu Pin-chian 16-21, 21-16, 21-11 to reach the final against South Korea’s Sim Yu-jin.
In other games yesterday, Chi Yu-jen stunned Chou Tien-chen with a 19-21, 21-11, 21-17 upset in their men’s singles semi-final, ending the world No. 2’s pursuit of a fifth Taipei title.
In the final today, Chi faces Lin Chun-yi, who beat fellow Taiwanese Lee Chia-hao 21-12, 21-19.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan’s Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin had a disappointing end to their tournament after an injury forced them out of their mixed doubles semi-final against Thai pair Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Phataimas Muenwong.
On Friday, Ye and Lee Chia-hsin had edged one step closer to their first championship of the year with a 21-19, 21-14 victory over compatriots Lin Bing-wei and Lin Chih-chun.
However, Lee Chia-hsin sustained an ankle sprain shortly after their semi-final began yesterday. She played out the first game, which the Taiwanese pair lost 21-19, but was forced to withdraw before the start of the second.
Photo: CNA
“I did not expect it to end like this,” she said afterward.
“I hope it gets better quickly,” she said, adding that she hopes to compete in Hong Kong next week and in China from Sept. 17.
Teeraratsakul and Muenwong face Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang in today’s final after the Taiwanese pair ousted compatriots Lai Po-yu and Lin Xiao-min 21-7, 21-17.
In the men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Chiang Chien-wei and Wu Hsuan-yi defeated fellow Taiwanese Liu Kuang-heng and Yang Po-han 21-17, 21-19 to set up a final against Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan of Taiwan, who eliminated French pair Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi 21-10, 21-11.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
RSS