PETALING JAYA: Taiwanese shuttler Chou Tien-chen, despite struggling in men’s singles and dropping out of the world’s top 10, made a comeback by winning his first title of the year at the Hylo Open. Tien-chen defeated Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in a thrilling final with a score of 21-23, 21-17, 21-10. This victory made Tien-chen the first men’s singles player to win the tournament four times. He had previously won the title three times between 2012 and 2014 when it was known as the Bitburger Open.
Last year, Tien-chen narrowly lost in the final to Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting but was determined to bounce back and make history. In his post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Tien-chen expressed his delight at achieving his goal.
In the men’s doubles category, China’s Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi won their first title of the year by defeating Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin with a score of 24-22, 21-13. This victory was a sweet revenge for Yuchen, who had lost to the Taiwanese pair in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics final when he was playing with his former partner Li Junhui. Yuchen and Xuanyi were also relieved to end their title drought after spending most of the year in the shadow of their world No. 1 teammates Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang.
“We really wanted a title to boost our confidence and now we’ve done it,” said Yuchen, who also expressed their ambition to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics as they continue to strive for more titles.
FINAL RESULTS
Men’s Singles: Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) bt Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) 21-23, 21-17, 21-10.
Men’s Doubles: Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) bt Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin (Tpe) 24-22, 21-13.
Women’s Singles: Zhang Beiwen (US) bt Line Kjaersfeldt (Den) 21-18, 16-21, 21-16.
Women’s Doubles: Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu (Chn) bt Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti (Ina) 18-21, 1-1, rtd.
Mixed Doubles: Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) bt Rehan Naufal-Lisa Ayu (Ina) 15-21, 21-15, 21-14.
