Jayce
With 10 appearances, 7 finals, and 4 championships, Tai Tzu Ying has set a benchmark at the Finals. However, for Tai Tzu Ying, this championship was unexpected. Achieving dramatic comebacks in two consecutive matches, she went from having no confidence to being full of confidence, and the first thing she thought of was thanking the fans.
Throwing the Championship Racket to the Stands
Tai Tzu Ying had been dealing with injuries recently, and coupled with a lack of systematic training before the tournament, she didn’t have many expectations when she came to Hangzhou for the Finals. Before coming, she didn’t even know that the total prize money for the event was as high as $2.5 million.
However, unexpectedly, Tai Tzu Ying staged dramatic comebacks in both the semifinals and finals, winning her fourth Women’s Singles title at the Finals. In the semifinals, especially, she was trailing 10-19 but fought back, saving four match points and making a 12-1 run to complete the comeback, defeating the current world number one An Se Young, whom she hadn’t beaten in a long time. In the final against Olympic champion Carolina Marín, Tai Tzu Ying once again staged a comeback.
After winning the championship, Tai Tzu Ying could hardly contain her excitement. She turned around and thanked the audience in all directions and threw the racket she used in the final, the VICTOR TK-TTY, into the stands. Tai Tzu Ying said that she initially had no confidence in this tournament, but the encouragement from the audience gave her the confidence to complete the comebacks and eventually win the championship. “From the first day of the competition, regardless of who my opponent was, everyone cheered for me. When I was very tired, hearing the cheers, I would tell myself ‘Xiao Dai, come on’.”
Tai Tzu Ying lost the first game of the final badly and the start of the second game was also unfavorable. “In the second game, the audience gave me a lot of confidence and encouragement, making me more confident to fight against my opponent when I was behind,” Tai Tzu Ying said.
Meet and Greet with Fans
Tai Tzu Ying’s experience at this Finals is just a microcosm of the badminton fever in China. From the Sudirman Cup to the China Open and now the Finals, high-level badminton events have been held in China one after another this year, igniting the long-suppressed enthusiasm of the fans time and again. The booming badminton market in China was once again validated at this Finals, with the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, often filled to capacity. Many fans traveled from other places just to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars.
After the match, many fans braved the cold to gather at the VICTOR pop-up store at the competition site to attend Tai Tzu Ying’s meet and greet. During the meet and greet, Tai Tzu Ying interacted closely with fans, fulfilling their requests for autographs and photos. When receiving blessings from fans face-to-face, Tai Tzu Ying’s smile was even brighter than on the court. Tai Tzu Ying said she was honored to have this opportunity to give back to the fans as a signed player of VICTOR, the official equipment partner of the Finals.
At the VICTOR pop-up store, fans could choose from a variety of tournament memorabilia and badminton equipment. In addition to watching the matches, fans could take photos on the podium, with giant badminton equipment, and with standees of their favorite players, and participate in the badminton gashapon machine game. Even “Crayon Shin-chan” joined the badminton carnival, bringing happy surprises to players and fans alike.
“This watching experience was fantastic,” said a fan who attended Tai Tzu Ying’s meet and greet. “Thanks to VICTOR for bringing us so many surprises. This is the badminton culture we want.”
