Tzu-ying to make one last push for two most prized titles

Tokyo on my mind: Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying returning a shot to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in the quarter-finals yesterday. — AP

IT will be one last hurrah for Taiwanese women’s singles shuttler Tai Tzu-ying.

She’s making one final push for an Olympic gold medal and World Championship title as she intends to call time on her badminton career after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 24-year-old has been a dominant figure at the top of the world rankings for more than two years since December 2016, except for two weeks in April last year when she dropped to second place.

But despite her strong stature at the top, she has yet to win the two most prized titles in the badminton world.

“I’ve not won the big ones even though I’ve been at the top of the rankings for some time. So all my focus is on winning the World Championship in Basel (Switzerland) this year (in August) and the Olympic gold next year,” said Tzu-ying.

“My badminton career will be complete if I can win a medal at the Olympics but whether I win a medal or not, I’ll still retire.

“I’ve given my all to badminton for 10 years and that is enough for me. I’ve to run on the court more than most players to cover my weaknesses because of my small size, so I think it’s enough.”

When asked what are her post-retirement plans, she replied: “ I don’t want to think so far ahead yet as my focus is now only on the present and on badminton.”

At the Malaysian Open, a focused Tzu-ying proved why she is the best when she made quick work of former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-19, 21-13 in 35 minutes to reach the semi-finals yesterday.

It was sweet revenge for the All-England runner-up, who had lost 13-21, 14-21 to Ratchanok in the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Masters at the same venue here in January.

Tzu-ying will play China’s Chen Yufei for a place in the final today, after the third seed defeated South Korea’s Sung Ji-hyun 21-18, 21-14 in the quarter-final.