Chou Tien Chen Fails to Catch Tai Tzu Ying's Taipei Open Record
Conor Hudson
Tue Sep 10 2024
The badminton world witnessed a mix of happiness and tragedy at the Taipei Open as top seed Chou Tien Chen fell short of winning the championship, paving the way for young talents to shine. Let's delve into the ups and downs of the tournament.
Having clinched the Taipei Open title in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022, Chou Tien Chen faced a surprising defeat against his younger compatriot Chi Yu Jen in a gripping semi-final match lasting 73 minutes. Chi secured a 19-21, 21-11, 21-17 victory, marking his first win over Chou after three previous losses. Chi's best performance before this was reaching the round of 16 last year. In the upcoming final, Chi will take on another Taipei Chinese Taipei player, the second seed Lin Chun-Yi, who defeated Lee Chia Hao 21-12, 21-19 in the semi-finals.
In the women's doubles category, top seeds Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsaard from Thailand were stunned in the fourth round by Indonesian pair Jesita Putri Miantoro and Feni Setianingrum in a thrilling 17-21, 21-9, 21-18 battle. Indonesia continued its dominance as the second seeds Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi also secured a victory against Laksika Kanlaha and Phataimas Muenwong, winning 25-23, 21-16.
The host nation's Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin faced disappointment as they had to withdraw from the mixed doubles semi-final against the Thai duo Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Phataimas Muenwong due to an unfortunate injury to Lee Chia-hsin's ankle ligament at the start of the match. Despite showing promise in the first game, they had to concede before the second game began.
Post-match, a disappointed Lee Chia-hsin expressed her hope for a swift recovery and vowed to compete in upcoming events in China and Hong Kong. With no titles to their name this year, Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin will look to bounce back stronger in the future.
In the men's doubles final, Teeraratsakul and Muenwong faced off against Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang after eliminating their compatriots Lai Po-yu and Lin Xiao-min. The men's doubles final saw Chiang Chien-wei and Wu Hsuan-yi emerge victorious over Liu Kuang-heng and Yang Po-han, setting up a thrilling clash with Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan, who cruised past the French pair Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi.
The Taipei Open showcased a blend of triumphs and setbacks, highlighting the fierce competition and unpredictable outcomes in the world of badminton. As the tournament draws to a close, fans eagerly await the thrilling finals and anticipate future success stories in the sport.