World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying had never reached beyond the quarter-final at the major badminton tournaments (Olympic Games / World Championships)...
World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying had never reached beyond the quarter-final at the major badminton tournaments (Olympic Games / World Championships) before her run to the final at Tokyo 2020. While a first medal is still sweet, arguably the most skilled player of her generation, was left wondering if her last shot at a major title has come and gone.
China’s Chen Yufei beat Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying 21-18, 19-21, 21-18 to return the title to China, giving the badminton powerhouse its 20th Olympic gold medal in the sport. It was an epic final. Not unlike the one PV Sindhu had lost five years back against Carolina Marin in Rio de Janeiro and won the silver, as well won hearts with her gesture to pick the Spaniard up and hug her at the end of the match.
On Sunday in Tokyo, Sindhu defeated He Bingjiao to win bronze before the final between Chen and Tai. The Indian later found the time to offer a shoulder of support to Tai this time, the player who had defeated Sindhu in the semifinal a day earlier, as the women’s singles event came to an end.
In a post on Instagram in her native language, Tai...
