KUALA LUMPUR: Will Malaysia continue to serve as a happy hunting ground for Taiwan women’s singles shuttler Tai Tzu-ying (pic)?
World No. 4 Tzu-ying has four Malaysian Open titles in her bag after triumphing in the 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019 editions.
Tzu-ying, who plans to retire later this year, is one step closer to clinching her fifth Malaysian Open title after storming into the final yesterday.
The Taiwanese player showed true grit and perseverance by coming from behind to stun world No. 2 Chen Yufei of China 17-21, 21-15, 21-18 in the last four at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
It was a watershed moment for Tzu-ying as it marked the end of four consecutive defeats to the Chinese shuttler in the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open, Malaysian Masters and World Cham–pionships in 2022 as well as the French Open last October.
Tzu-ying, who faces South Korean world No. 1 An Se-young in the final today, was relieved that she managed to maintain her composure and minimised her errors during the crucial moments of the match.
“The later part of the match was quite evenly contested and the key to my victory might be fewer mistakes in crucial moments,” said the 29-year-old Tzu-ying.
“I didn’t have much feeling about ending my four-match losing streak.
“We hadn’t faced each other for quite some time until last year’s French Open. She has always had a stable playing style and her attacks are quite sharp.
“I tried to focus on improving my defence.”
It will be Tzu-ying’s last Malaysian Open appearance and she just wanted to enjoy every moment on the court without putting any undue pressure on herself.
“I don’t want to think too much about winning my fifth title here,” said reigning Olympic women’s singles silver medallist.
“I just want to enjoy this tournament and give my best.
“I plan to continue competing until the end of this year before retiring.
“However, I will be prioritising Super 1000 and 750 tournaments, considering the intensity of the competitions.”
