《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Taiwan’s Tai wins HK Open badminton title

/ AFP, HONG KONG

Taiwanese world No. 3 Tai Tzu-ying （戴資穎） yesterday won the women’s singles at the Hong Kong Open, dashing Pusarla Venkata Sindhu’s hopes of back-to-back Badminton World Federation Super Series titles and avenging her loss to the Olympic silver medalist in Rio.

Sindhu, fresh from capturing the China Open in Fuzhou, China, on Nov. 20, looked hesitant as she struggled to match the pace of the Taiwanese player, who unleashed a mix of well-timed lobs and drop shots in her 21-15, 21-17 victory.

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“It was a good game overall, but it was her day,” said Sindhu, who brushed off suggestions that her win at Fuzhou had left her drained in Hong Kong. “I’ll go back and train hard.”

Tai cruised through the first game with relative ease, remaining cool as she controlled the contest’s tempo and placement of the shuttlecock.

Sindhu rallied in the second, but was unable to establish a rhythm as Tai pulled away in the latter half of the game.

Tai, 22, stayed patient during longer rallies, as her opponent struggled to reach shots and keep the shuttlecock in play.

“I like to be easy during my matches. I don’t like to put too much pressure on myself,” said Tai, who on Saturday booked her ticket to the final by beating Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marin.

Tai’s triumph in the Hong Kong Open marked her second Super Series win of the season after clinching the Indonesia Open title in June.

She said her eyes were now firmly set on finishing the season on top at the tour final in Dubai, a tournament she won in 2014.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES