MIND ON PARIS:
Chou Tien-chen said he is focused this season on qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games and putting to use what he learned from last season

Taiwanese badminton star Tai Tzu-ying yesterday launched her 2023 campaign with a bang, dominating Spain’s Clara Azurmendi to advance to the round of 16 at the Petronas Malaysia Open, while Chou Tien-chen defeated China’s Shi Yuqi.

In Kuala Lumpur’s Axiata Arena, the world No. 3 powerhouse swept the 24-year-old Spaniard 21-10, 21-10 in a brisk 24 minutes to set up her round-two match against China’s Han Yue.

Han, who is world No. 11 and won last year’s Hylo Open in Germany, advanced after beating India’s Saina Nehwal 21-12, 17-21, 21-12.

Photo: AP

Former world No. 1 Tai, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, last year nabbed three BWF titles, winning the Thailand Open, the Indonesia Open and the Taipei Open. In the BWF World Tour Finals, she was beaten for the title by world No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi yesterday also advanced, defeating Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt 17-21, 21-13, 21-15.

Taiwan’s Wen Chi-hsu beat India’s Aakarshi Kashyap 21-10, 21-8, to set the 25-year-old world No. 23 up against Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.

Photo courtesy of Badmintonphoto via CNA

In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hsin and Teng Chun-hsun lost 21-16, 21-15 to Indonesia’s world No. 9 pairing of Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.

In the men’s singles, former world No. 2 Chou gave himself a late birthday present in beating Shi 21-23, 24-22, 21-18 in 1 hour, 19 minutes.

Chou, who turned 33 this month, last year won the Taipei Open, but despite making it to the finals of the Indonesia Masters, Japan Open and Hylo Open, he was unable to add to his seven titles.

The world No. 4 told the BWF World Tour Web site that he was disappointed in how close he had come in each of those tournaments, but was focused this year on qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games next year.

“There was so much to learn from playing at these tournaments,” he told the site in an interview last week. “It’s the fighter in yourself that matters most. I’m certain I still need to keep humble in every match. When I’m not humble enough, I don’t play well, and it’s not pretty on court. It feels unnatural.”

Chou next plays Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama, who earlier defeated Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.

Taiwanese world No. 18 Wang Tzu-wei was knocked out in the first round by world No. 3 Jonatan Chritie of Indonesia, who beat Wang 21-19, 21-13.

In men’s doubles, Tokyo Games gold-medal winners Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin made short work of Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, beating the world No. 4 duo 21-13, 21-15 in 32 minutes.

Taiwan’s Lu Ching-yao and Yang Po-han also advanced, after beating Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall 21-14, 21-11.

In the mixed doubles, Taiwan’s Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang lost 21-8, 21-14 to the world No. 1 duo of Zhen Siwei and Huang Yaqiong of China.

Taiwan’s Chang Ko-chi and Lee Chih-chen also crashed out in the mixed doubles, losing 21-15, 21-13 to Malaysia’s world No. 7 duo of Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie.