In celebration of the legacy of Tai Tzu Ying who announced her retirement earlier this week, here is a selection of some of her most significant matches showcasing her unique abilities.
Dubai World Superseries Finals 2014
Final: Beat Sung Ji Hyun 21-17 21-12
Her first title at the season finale, having lost the previous final. Despite losing to Akane Yamaguchi in a group match, Tai cruised past Saina Nehwal in the semifinals and Sung in the final.
Indonesia Open 2016
Final: Beat Wang Yihan 21-17 21-8
Over the week, Tai achieved the rare feat of beating the top three Chinese of the time – Li Xuerui, Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan.
Malaysia Open 2017
Final: Beat Carolina Marin 23-25 22-20 21-13
A tense contest over the first two games, and having taken the match to a decider after fighting off a resurgent Marin, Tai seized the momentum from midway in the third.
Denmark Open 2018
Final: Beat Saina Nehwal 21-13 13-21 21-6
After Nehwal beat Tai in their first four matches, the Chinese Taipei shuttler turned into the Indian’s nemesis, winning 15 of the next 16 contests. The third game of this final showed how difficult it was for opponents to pick her shots.
Asian Games 2018
Final: Beat Pusarla V. Sindhu 21-13 21-16
Her first big title outside the Superseries/World Tour as she blitzed the field with straight games wins over Cheung Ngan Yi, Nozomi Okuhara, Saina Nehwal and Pusarla.
Tai celebrates her win over Pusarla.
Singapore Open 2019
Semifinal: Beat Akane Yamaguchi 15-21 24-22 21-19
A tough side to the champion, as she saves five match points in the second game to emerge victorious by a razor-thin margin in an epic contest!
HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2020
Final: Beat Carolina Marin 14-21 21-8 21-19
Tai and Marin clashed thrice in three consecutive finals in Bangkok when the tournaments were conducted in a safety bubble during COVID. Marin won the first two and looked set to break her jinx at the season finale as she led at the home stretch. Tai however produced her best when the chips were down and pulled through at the end of a thrilling final.
HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2023
Semifinal: Beat An Se Young 19-21 21-15 22-20
The Chinese Taipei genius hasn’t often won from hopeless situations, but this was one such match. Trailing An 10-19 and 16-20, she kept knocking off the lead before claiming an unusual win – Tai had won 11 of the last 12 points!
Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Final: Lost to Chen Yu Fei 21-18 19-21 21-18
Perhaps her most heartbreaking loss. Tai had started on a low note but was at her sparkling best in the second game. The momentum however shifted due a succession of unforced errors, until she made a late surge and threatened to nick the final from Chen’s grasp. It was not to be as Chen just about held on at the end of an epic 81-minute contest.
A dramatic final comes to an end!
BWF World Championships 2021
Semfinal: Beat He Bing Jiao 21-17 13-21 21-14
A day earlier, she had earned a first World Championships medal by beating Pusarla. She then came a step closer to her first World Championships gold by overcoming He, who had knocked her out of the previous edition. However, in the final against Yamaguchi, Tai looked far from her best as she went down in straight games.
All England 2020
Final: Beat Chen Yu Fei 21-19 21-15
Her second All England title – a significant result for she had lost two previous finals that year to Chen; it also avenged her 2019 final loss in Birmingham.
Badminton Asia Championships 2023
Final: Beat An Se Young 21-10 21-14
Another title of major significance, for it proved she could still hold her own against the face of the next generation – An. By this time, the circuit had come to be dominated by the ‘Big Four’ – Tai, An, Yamaguchi and Chen.
Celebrating her third Asian Championships gold.
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