Tai Tzu-ying: In good form, ushering in a second spring

Jayce September 6, 2024 2 0

Last December, Tai Tzu-Ying had a dream match. After that match, Tai Tzu-Ying is constantly rewriting the outside world’s evaluation of her – she is not at the end of her career, she is in good shape.

Imagine if An Se-young wins the third game at the 2023 World Championships semifinals, 19-10 and 20-16. It would be Tai Tzu-ying’s seventh defeat to the Korean player, and it would indicate that everything remains the same – An Se-young is still at her peak, and Tai Tzu-ying is struggling to compete with her.

However, the game changes rapidly. After falling behind in the final, Tai Tzu-Ying gave it her all and made the most exciting comeback in her career, defeating the strong opponent An Se-young. In the final, a similar plot was played out again. Tai Tzu-Ying defeated Marin 2-1 and won the BWF World Tour Finals. In early 2024, she reached two consecutive finals, defeated many strong opponents, and won a championship. The last time Tai Tzu-ying reached three (or more) finals in a row was in 2021. That year, she reached the final five times but only won once.

We can all sense that she has changed again, both inside and outside the court. The most obvious change is that she has more patience in the long-shot tug-of-war. Her technique is still very delicate, and she is more focused on the success rate of hitting the ball. Similarly, her physical fitness is still very strong, and she can hold on to the end in the fierce battle with many young players.

Although she never had high expectations for herself, this time she did relieve a lot of psychological burden. She is in good shape before embarking on the European series.

When asked what she had changed, she gave a deceptively simple answer: “I don’t think too much. I just focus on every point and try to minimize my mistakes.”

In the current game, she prefers to play it safe and wait for the right time to strike.

“I keep telling myself that I have to be more patient and not play too close to the sideline or the baseline. I’m happy with the way I’ve been playing lately.”

Her opponent Chen Yufei also noticed this subtle change.

After losing to Tai Tzu-ying at the 2024 India Open, Chen Yufei said: “Tai Tzu-ying played with more patience. Her skills have improved. I must also work hard to learn from her.” In this match, Chen Yufei, who has always been known for her stability, was actually thrown into disarray. “Tai Tzu-ying’s speed was too fast, which brought me a lot of pressure.”

Tai Tzu-ying has an excellent record in the French Open and the All-England Open, reaching the finals 7 times and winning 4 times. As the Olympics approach, we look forward to what wonderful performances she will bring.