PETALING JAYA: Taiwan’s singles shuttler Tai Tzu-ying claimed the biggest comeback win in the World Tour Finals so far.
Tzu-ying showed great resilience when she unbelievably came back from 10-19 down to stun South Korea’s reigning world champion An Se-young 19-21, 21-15, 22-20 to reach the final at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium yesterday.
It was a great win for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist after she had lost five times to Se-young this year including a day earlier in the last Group A match.
It was Tzu-ying’s third victory over the Korean in 12 meetings.
“Both Se-young and I didn’t want to give up. So, it came down to who was more resilient until the end,” said Tzu-ying in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“To be honest, I don’t remember how I caught up but I’m so happy that I won.”
The win meant that Tzu-ying has now reached her seventh season finale including three times when it was known as Super Series Finals.
The 29-year-old is out to capture her fourth crown today but standing in her way is Spain’s three-time world champion and 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist Carolina Marin, who outlasted China’s reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei 21-17, 19-21, 21-13 in a marathon match lasting 104 minutes.
“As everyone could see, it was a very long game and I’m proud that I kept going and managed to win,” said Marin.
Based on the head-to-head records, Marin and Tzu-ying are evenly matched as both have won 11 times each.
Men’s singles: Shi Yuqi (Chn) bt Jonatan Christie (Ina) 21-16, 21-15; Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Anders Antonsen (Den) 21-9, 21-14
Men’s doubles: Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) 21-13, 21-12; Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang (Chn) bt Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) 22-20, 12-21, 21-16.
Women’s singles: Tai Tzu-ying (Tpe) bt An Se-young (Kor) 19-21, 21-15, 22-20; Carolina Marin (Spa) bt Chen Yufei (Chn) 21-17, 19-21, 21-13.
Women’s doubles: Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) bt Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning (Chn) 21-12, 21-15; Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) bt Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (Jpn) 21-17, 18-21, 21-18.
Men’s singles
Group A: Shi Yuqi (Chn) bt Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) 18-21, 23-21, 21-13; Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Anthony Ginting (Ina) 16-21, 21-7, 21-13.
Group B: Li Shifeng (Chn) bt Jonatan Christie (Ina) 21-13, 21-18.
Mixed doubles
Group A: Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (Mas) 18-21, 21-18, 21-14; Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino (Jpn) 21-16, 19-21, 21-17.
Group B: Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) bt Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu-jung (Kor) 21-15, 25-23; Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) bt Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun (Kor) 25-23, 14-21, 21-18.
