Hangzhou: Taiwan’s world No. 4 women’s singles player, Tai Tzu Ying, staged a thrilling comeback from a 9-point deficit to defeat world No. 1 An Se Young in the semi-finals of the 2023 BWF World Tour Finals and secure a spot in the BWF Badminton World Tour year-end finals. In a gripping encounter, Tai Tzu Ying overcame a first-set loss (19:21) to dominate the subsequent two sets (21:15, 22:20), ending a six-game losing streak against An Se Young and advancing to the championship game.
Highlights of Tai Tzu Ying vs. An Se Young in the semi-finals of 2023 BWF World Tour Finals:
Ranked fourth globally, Tai Tzu Ying’s journey in the year-end tournament this year has been exceptional. In the group stage, she emerged with 2 wins and 1 loss, securing a second-place finish. Having previously lost to An Se Young in the group stage on Friday 17-21, 15-21, the redrawn brackets pitted them against each other once again in the top four on Saturday.
The decisive game on Saturday saw Tai Tzu Ying facing a formidable 10-19 deficit. However, she showcased exceptional defensive skills, scoring six consecutive points and resolving four late match points to secure a dramatic 22-20 victory. The entire match lasted 72 minutes, marking an impressive turnaround for Tai Tzu Ying and bringing an end to her six-game losing streak against An Se Young.
Reflecting on the unexpected win, Tai Tzu Ying expressed surprise and credited her ability to play with ease when lagging behind. She emphasized the pressure of facing An Se Young, who is known for her low error rate, and acknowledged that the victory was unforeseen.
In the post-game interview, Tai Tzu Ying mentioned her opponent in the final, either Spain’s Carolina Marin or China’s Chen Yufei, both in good form. The win positions Tai Tzu Ying to compete for her fourth year-end championship.
And of course, she will play Carolina Marin in the final. Marin who defeated Chen Yufei on Friday 25-23, 24-22 in their last Group B match, put on a resilient display to beat Chen again on Saturday with 21-17, 19-21, 21-13.
In women’s doubles, Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee will face the 2019 and 2022 champions – Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan of China in the final.
The China team already guaranteed a gold medal in the mixed doubles category when two Chinese pairs – Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping will take on two-time champions Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong (2019, 2022) in the final.
