TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s top singles female badminton competitor, Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎), lost in straight sets, 21-9, 21-15, to defending champion An Se Young in the championship round of the 2023 Korea Open on Sunday (July 23).
Korea’s An Se Young was dominant on her home court, and Tai will settle for a runner-up finish in the 38-minute final, capping her first-ever Korea Open. Tai did well in the tournament, eliminating higher-ranked competitors in earlier rounds and notching her best-ever performance in the Badminton World Federation Super 500 event, per PTS.
However, Tai faced tough competition going against Korean An Se Young, who is widely considered the top player in her country and a badminton genius, appearing in the semifinals in nine out of ten tournaments and taking home six titles this year.
In head-to-head play, An has defeated Tai in four out of five competitions this year, with Taiwan’s Tai only able to secure a victory at the Dubai Badminton Asia Championships final on April 30.
Tai will soon travel to Japan to participate in the BWF Super 750 Japan Open, starting on Tuesday (July 25). With the recent loss, Tai is currently ranked fourth in the world in women's badminton singles.