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Tag: Tai Tzu Ying

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  • Five Beautiful Badminton Players Who Combine Talent and Grace

    Five Beautiful Badminton Players Who Combine Talent and Grace

    Badminton is not only a sport of speed and power; it’s also a world where elegance and beauty thrive! Here, you’ll meet some of the most beautiful badminton players from around the globe. These athletes are admired not just for their remarkable skills but also for their captivating looks, making them true icons on and off the court. Let’s dive into the world of badminton stars who blend talent with charm and inspire millions.

    1. Tai Tzu Ying

    Tai Tzu Ying from Taiwan brings her unique, graceful play style to the court, mesmerizing fans with her agility and finesse. Known as the “Smiling Angel,” her warm smile and playful personality make her even more beloved. She’s a true icon for both her skill and her radiant presence.

    Tai Tzu Ying

    2. P. V. Sindhu

    India’s P. V. Sindhu is a powerhouse on the court and a style icon off it. With her athletic build and striking features, she brings strength and grace in perfect harmony. Sindhu’s determination and charisma have made her an inspiration across India and beyond.

    Pusarla Venkata Sindhu

    3. Chen Yufei

    From China, Chen Yufei is not only skilled but also known for her refined features and poised presence. Her calm, strategic playing style paired with her graceful appearance make her a standout in the sport, winning the admiration of fans worldwide.

    Chen Yu Fei

    4. Line Kjærsfeldt

    Hailing from Denmark, Line Kjærsfeldt is celebrated for her elegant playing style and radiant smile. Known for her upbeat personality, she’s a fan favorite in Europe, combining charm and competitive spirit in every match.

    Line Højmark Kjaersfeldt

    5. Nozomi Okuhara

    Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara is adored for her cheerful smile and friendly demeanor. Despite her gentle appearance, her skill and tenacity on the court are unmatched, making her a favorite among fans who admire her both for her looks and her resilience.

    Okuhara Nozomi

    These incredible badminton players remind us that beauty and skill are a powerful combination. Not only do they bring exceptional talent to the court, but they also inspire fans around the world with their dedication and charm. Explore the stories of these players who truly embody the spirit of badminton!

  • Tai Tzu Ying Denies Retirement, Requests Ranking Protection

    Tai Tzu Ying Denies Retirement, Requests Ranking Protection

    In the latest BWF rankings update, Tai Tzu Ying has applied for ranking protection, indicating a break from international tournaments for at least three months, delaying her year-end retirement plans indefinitely.

    Often dubbed the “uncrowned queen” of women’s singles, Tai Tzu Ying held the world’s top ranking for years but has yet to win a major championship gold medal. In 2017, during her peak, she opted to skip the World Championships to compete in the Universiade, securing the women’s singles title with ease. Since then, she has struggled to break through in events like the Olympics and World Championships, taking silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 World Championships.

    Injuries have increasingly hindered her career. After withdrawing from several tournaments this season due to a knee issue, including the Japan Open and Chinese Taipei Open, her latest appearance at the China Open ended in a first-round exit.

    Notably, Tai Tzu Ying has consistently hinted at retirement since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At the start of this year, she announced plans to retire by year’s end but seems reluctant to leave, now opting for ranking protection.

    Taipei reporters are as uncertain as fans. When asked if her year-end retirement plans will change, her coach Lai Jian Cheng refrained from a direct answer, suggesting her main focus is healing. Lai added that only once she is fully recovered will further decisions be made, including the possibility of one final international match.

    At September’s Chinese Taipei Open, Tai Tzu Ying addressed a retirement inquiry with slight frustration, stating, “I’ve said it many times; I’m not lying. I won’t be here next year.” If her plans remain unchanged, her first-round exit at the China Open on September 18 could mark the end of her career.

    According to BWF rules, players in the top 32 can apply for ranking protection due to injury or other reasons, allowing them to skip events without penalty. Upon their return, they may enter higher-tier tournaments but will not be seeded. Protection periods range from three to twelve months.

    After applying for ranking protection, Tai Tzu Ying will skip the upcoming Kumamoto Masters and China Masters. She also lacks the points to qualify for the year-end BWF World Tour Finals, indicating a potential return no sooner than February.

    Tai Tzu Ying
  • An Seyoung Relinquishes No.1 Spot, Missing Tai Tzu Ying’s Record

    An Seyoung Relinquishes No.1 Spot, Missing Tai Tzu Ying’s Record

    An Seyoung will relinquish her position as the world No. 1 in women’s singles next week, with Chen Yufei from China taking over the top spot. An Seyoung will also miss the opportunity to become the third player in history, after China’s Li Xuerui and Tai Tzu Ying, to finish a year ranked first.

    Regarded as a prodigious talent, An Seyoung won the Japan Open Championship in 2023 and first became the world No. 1 in women’s singles on August 1 of that year, making her the first Korean woman to hold the title in 27 years. She held the No. 1 ranking for 62 consecutive weeks. However, following her gold medal win in women’s singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, An Seyoung has been sidelined due to injury. After returning home, she harshly criticized the Korean Badminton Association for their negligence and unfair treatment, revealing that during her seven years in the national team, she suffered bullying, had to do laundry for senior players, and even wash their underwear, which sparked a significant uproar.

    An Seyoung‘s long absence from competitions will result in her handing over the world No. 1 title next week. Since the BWF established the world ranking system in 2002, only two players have finished a year ranked No. 1 in women’s singles: Li Xuerui from 2013 to 2014 and Tai Tzu Ying in 2017 and 2021.

    Tai Tzu Ying first ascended to the world No. 1 ranking after winning the Hong Kong Super Series in 2016. She continued her dominance into the 2017 season, capturing five Super Series titles, along with gold medals at the Taipei Universiade and the Asian Championships, totaling seven international titles that set an unprecedented record for badminton in Chinese Taipei.

    In January 2021, Tai Tzu Ying achieved an impressive 1 gold and 2 silver medals at three tournaments in Thailand, including her third title at the year-end finals. She also earned silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics and the World Championships, and in that year, she received the BWF Player of the Year award, becoming the first from Chinese Taipei to achieve this honor.

    An Se Young
    Tai Tzu Ying
  • Chen Yufei Takes a Break but Returns to World No. 1 Next Week

    Chen Yufei Takes a Break but Returns to World No. 1 Next Week

    Chen Yufei was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles at the Paris Olympics, missing out on a consecutive title. After the match, she announced a temporary break and applied for world ranking protection. Next week, her ranking will surpass An Seyoung, marking her return to the world No. 1 position since March 10, 2020.

    The top two women’s singles players have both been absent from competitions for an extended period after the Paris Olympics. Chen Yufei has taken a break from the court, while An Seyoung, following her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, has suspended her participation due to injury concerns. Their rankings will switch next week, with An Seyoung losing 5,580 points, dropping her world total to 100,337 points, while Chen Yufei will lose 1,800 points, reaching 101,682 points to reclaim the top spot. The third and fourth places are held by Wang Zhiyi from China, Spain’s Carolina Marin, Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, China’s Han Yue, Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, Japan’s Aya Ohori, and American-born Zhang Beiwen.

    After Chen Yufei‘s return to the world No. 1 position, the Chinese badminton team holds the top ranking in all five events, with Shi Yuqi firmly seated as the king of men’s singles, Liang Weikang/Wang Chang leading men’s doubles, and Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan and Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong holding the top spots in women’s doubles and mixed doubles, respectively.

    An Se Young
    Chen Yu Fei
  • Heal First! Tai Tzu Ying Withdraws from Arctic and Denmark Opens

    Heal First! Tai Tzu Ying Withdraws from Arctic and Denmark Opens

    Tai Tzu Ying was originally scheduled to participate in two upcoming events in Europe, including the Arctic Badminton Open in Finland next week and the Denmark Open. However, she has now confirmed her withdrawal from the tournament, as indicated on the official website’s participation list.

    Ranked fifth in the world, Tai Tzu Ying competed in the Paris Olympics this year despite being injured but unfortunately was eliminated in the group stage. With her retirement countdown underway, she didn’t want to disappoint her fans and planned to compete as scheduled. However, her knee injury has been a constant issue. She reached the semifinals of the Japan Open but withdrew due to knee problems. She made it to the quarterfinals in Taipei, but also had to withdraw in Hong Kong. In her most recent competition, she was eliminated in the first round of the China Open.

    Today, Tai visited Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for further examination of her knee injury to determine her upcoming schedule. Earlier, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website showed changes in the participation list; Tai was initially listed for both the Arctic and Denmark Opens but has now been marked as withdrawn.

    Coach Lai Chien-Cheng stated that they had originally planned to depart for Europe this week, but after assessment, the team felt that having Tai compete while constantly battling injuries was not ideal. Therefore, she will focus on healing her injuries throughout October, and her upcoming schedule will be determined based on her condition.

    Tai Tzu Ying
  • Tai Tzu Ying Too Heartbroken to Hold a Retirement Ceremony

    Tai Tzu Ying Too Heartbroken to Hold a Retirement Ceremony

    At a recent fan meeting for Tai Tzu Ying, a video featuring interviews with her fans was shown, sharing their emotions as they followed her through various competitions and offering blessings for her upcoming retirement. Moved to tears after watching the video, Tai said, “This year hasn’t been my best, but I’m truly happy to still have so many people supporting me.”

    At the Chinese Taipei Open, Lee Yang held a retirement ceremony, leaving a deep impression on his fans.

    When asked if she plans to hold a similar event to say goodbye to her fans, Tai Tzu Ying responded, “I probably won’t want a retirement ceremony. I think I’d be too heartbroken. I cried at today’s fan meeting, and just watching the video left me speechless. I’m afraid I’d cry uncontrollably.”

    Although Tai does not plan to hold a retirement ceremony, she hopes to accompany her fans in a different way. “I hope to do something more sustainable, like visiting schools and sharing with the children. I want to help them in any way I can,” she said.

    Tai Tzu Ying
  • Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin advance to quarterfinals after one match

    Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin advance to quarterfinals after one match

    After two days of matches, the round of 16 has been determined for all events at the 2024 China Badminton Open. Both the men’s and women’s singles saw several upsets, with two former world No. 1 players being eliminated in the first round, and six seeded players failing to advance. The doubles events faced an awkward situation with 12 byes and four withdrawals.

    In men’s singles, the former world No. 1 eliminated was Viktor Axelsen, who lost after a tough 3-game match to Chinese youngster Lei Lanxi, 19-21, 21-17, 16-21. Besides second seed Axelsen’s early exit, fourth seed Li Shifeng of China lost 17-21, 18-21 to Taiwanese veteran Chou Tien Chen, failing to make it to the round of 16. Third seed Lee Zii Jia suffered his most humiliating defeat, losing 15-21, 2-21 to Japan’s Koki Watanabe, marking the lowest score in China Open history and Lee’s personal lowest in recent years.

    In women’s singles, Tai Tzu Ying was the player eliminated. She battled Denmark’s Line Christophersen in a three-game thriller but ultimately lost 14-21, 21-7, 19-21. With this first-round exit, Tai’s hopes of reaching the World Tour Finals are now in serious jeopardy.

    The mixed doubles category saw a significant number of withdrawals, leading to an unusual situation. After Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin won 21-19, 21-13 against Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Lin Zhi Yun, they automatically advanced to the quarterfinals due to a lack of opponents, having only played one match. The mixed doubles event saw four first-round byes and three withdrawals, while the women’s doubles had an astonishing eight byes and one withdrawal. It’s hard to believe this is happening in a top-tier BWF World Tour 1000 event. The reason behind this is the reorganization of women’s and mixed doubles pairs by many teams.

    Jiang Zhen Bang
    Wei Ya Xin
    Viktor Axelsen
    Tai Tzu Ying
    Lei Lan Xi
  • Taipei Open: Chi Yu Jen Stops Chou Tien Chen Quest

    Taipei Open: Chi Yu Jen Stops Chou Tien Chen Quest

    Chou Tien Chen will need to wait another year to match compatriot Tai Tzu Ying’s five Taipei Open titles after being defeated in the semifinals of the 2024 YONEX Taipei Open by Chi Yu Jen.

    Top-seeded Chou, who had previously claimed the title in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022, was beaten by his younger teammate 19-21, 21-11, 21-17 in a hard-fought 73-minute battle. This marks Chi’s first victory over Chou after losing their previous three encounters.

    For Chi, this is a breakthrough, surpassing last year’s Round of 16 finish. He now advances to face another fellow Taiwanese player, second-seeded Lin Chun-Yi, in the men’s singles final. Lin secured his spot by defeating Lee Chia Hao 21-12, 21-19.

    In other action, top-seeded women’s doubles duo Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsaard from Thailand were also knocked out in the semifinals. They fell to Indonesia’s Jesita Putri Miantoro and Feni Setianingrum 17-21, 21-9, 21-18.

    Indonesia will now take home the women’s doubles title, with second seeds Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi winning their semifinal match against Laksika Kanlaha and Phataimas Muenwong 25-23, 21-16.

    Chi Yu Jen
    Chou Tien Chen
  • Hardworking Chou Tien-chen Reaches Semifinals, Aims for 5th Title

    Hardworking Chou Tien-chen Reaches Semifinals, Aims for 5th Title

    Chou Tien-chen advanced to the men’s singles semifinals at the Super 300 Taipei Open today, defeating Malaysia’s Hoh Justin 21-12, 21-14, moving one step closer to his fifth title in the tournament’s history.

    Chou let out several emotional roars as he scored in the final moments of the match. He explained afterward that seeing so many spectators today motivated him to leave everyone with great memories. He also mentioned Tai Tzu-ying, who had just lost earlier, saying, “Even though Tai lost, she still won because so many people came to watch.”

    Chou will face Chi Yu-jen in the semifinals, as Chi earlier defeated “Badminton Prince” Wang Tzu-wei in straight sets. Chou, who experienced a health issue last week (damage to his left lung tissue and surrounding soft tissue), said that he’s already very grateful to participate in the Taipei Open, and no matter who his opponent is, he will give it his all and show his best performance.

    Chou has faced Chi Yu-jen three times in international competitions without losing. He remarked that his junior will certainly prepare thoroughly for the match, but Chou will take a humble approach and rise to the challenge.

    Wang Tzu Wei
    Tai Tzu Ying
    Chou Tien Chen
    https://whatbadminton.com/product/p9200ii-tty/
    https://whatbadminton.com/product/a970ace-c/
    Chi Yu Jen
    HOH Justin
  • Tai Tzu-ying Upset at Taipei Open

    Tai Tzu-ying Upset at Taipei Open

    Tai Tzu-ying was unexpectedly defeated by world No. 34 Indonesian player Putri Kusuma Wardani with scores of 21-18, 16-21, 22-24 at the Super 300 Taipei Open, failing to advance to the women’s singles semifinals.

    Although it was their first encounter, Tai was aware of Wardani’s fast attacking style and the unique playing style of Indonesian women’s singles players. Tai admitted that facing such an opponent made movement on court particularly challenging.

    Facing a significant deficit in the deciding game, Tai managed to level the score and even held match points but ultimately could not secure the victory. She believed that her movement was restricted due to her injury but was grateful for the energy provided by the fans. Unfortunately, she was unable to win.

    Struggling with a knee injury, Tai admitted that in any match there are wins and losses, and she felt that her injury meant she might lose every match.

    After the match, Tai posted on her personal social media: “The final Taipei Open, thank you to the full crowd and everyone’s enthusiastic support. It’s a pity I couldn’t win, but I did my best. Thank you again for coming to support me. Starting in 2009, this is my last year at the Taipei Open. Special thanks to Dr. Lin for the emergency treatments before and after the match, which allowed me to play and show everyone what I’ve got.”

    Putri Kusuma WARDANI
    Tai Tzu Ying
  • Tai Tzu-Ying’s Final Dance in Hong Kong Could Break 41-Year Tournament Record

    Tai Tzu-Ying’s Final Dance in Hong Kong Could Break 41-Year Tournament Record

    Tai Tzu-Ying is scheduled to compete in the Hong Kong Open Super 500 series next week, where she could challenge a 41-year record in tournament history if she confirms her participation.

    Following the Taipei Open, Tai is expected to join the Hong Kong Open, according to her original plan. However, her coach, Lai Chien-Cheng, mentioned that while they’ve registered for the tournament, the final decision will depend on circumstances, and there’s no guarantee that she will participate. The BWF (Badminton World Federation) requires top-ranked players to compete in at least two 500-level tournaments. For now, Tai has her sights set on the Hong Kong Open, while her participation in the Arctic Open in Finland in October and the Kumamoto Masters in Japan in November will be decided later.

    The Hong Kong Open kicks off on the 10th of next week, and the draw was recently announced. With top-ranked players An Se-Young and Chen Yufei absent, third-ranked Tai Tzu-Ying is seeded first in the women’s singles category. If she competes, this will be her first appearance in a 500-level event this season, facing a qualifier in the first round.

    Hong Kong has been a lucky venue for Tai Tzu-Ying, where she claimed titles in 2014, 2016, and 2017. This ties her with legends Han Aiping, Xie Xingfang, and Bang Soo-hyun for the most women’s singles titles in the tournament’s history. If she wins again in her final dance this year, Tai will become the first player to secure four women’s singles championships since the tournament’s inception in 1982.

  • 149cm Tall Yang Yu-Chi Moved to Tears After Facing Tai Tzu-Ying

    149cm Tall Yang Yu-Chi Moved to Tears After Facing Tai Tzu-Ying

    Yang Yu-Chi lost 16-21, 17-21 to Taiwan’s top player, Tai Tzu-Ying, in the Taipei Open Super 300 series today. Since Yang is set to retire after this tournament, today’s match was her last. After the game, she couldn’t hold back her emotions and cried, expressing that she had no regrets facing Tai. “I’m so thankful she played her best against me,” Yang said.

    The 23-year-old, ranked 135th in the world, stands at only 149 cm tall. She joined the badminton team in elementary school, hoping to grow taller and pursue her love for the sport. Despite her small stature, she advanced to the elite level at the age of 17. Yang admits that her height has made the journey difficult: “It’s been tough, but I accepted the challenge. This is the test that life gave me, and I’m so happy I made it through today!”

    Yang fought her way through the Taipei Open qualifiers and defeated Hungary’s Agnes Korosi in the previous round. She laughed, saying that she was thrilled when she saw the draw and knew she had to seize the chance to face Tai Tzu-Ying. “Tai is truly incredible,” Yang said, adding that she couldn’t predict Tai’s shots, as it felt like she was performing magic on the court.