Top-ranked Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan won the Malaysia Open (600.000 Dollars) women’s singles title after defeating Spanish World and European champion Carolina Marin 23-25, 22-20, 21-13 in 85 minutes.
During the first game, Tai maintained a 7-1 advantage over Marin. However, Marin quickly caught up and the two were tied at 9-9 and 20-20, before Marin won the game 25-23. The Asian shuttler quickly led 10-5 during the second game and as the the match progressed, the two tied at 14-14 and 20-20. But Tai won two points consecutively to take the second game 22-20.
With both Tai and Marin having won one game each, the third game tied at 12-12, then Tai was able to score six points in a row to decide the match. In the end, Tai won the final two points 21-13 and the 2017 Malaysia Open title.
Last year, the two women's singles stars played each other twice, including the 2016 China Open quarterfinal, both of the matches Tai Tzu Ying could win.
The Spanish Olympic champion ended a runner-up for the second week in a row, after India’s PV Sindhu defeated her in the final of last week’s India Open Superseries tournament in New Delhi.
Marin will now compete in this week's OUE Singapore Open Superseries, where she will take on Pompawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the opening round.
China’s superstar Lin Dan defeated arch-rival Lee Chong Wei yesterday to win his first Malaysia Open crown and complete his collection of major badminton titles.
Malaysia Open finals results:
MS: Lin Dan (CHN) - Lee Chong Wei (MAS) 21-19, 21-14
WS: Tai Tzu Ying (TPE) - Carolina Marin (ESP) 23-25, 22-20, 13-21
MD: Marcus Fernaldo Gideon/Kevin Sukamuljo (INA) - Fu Haifeng/Zheng Siwei 21-14, 14-21, 21-12
WD: Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN) - Huang Yaqiong/Tang Jinhua (CHN) 21-17, 18-21, 21-12
XD: Zheng Siwei/Chen Qingchen (CHN) - Lu Kai/Huang Yaqiong (CHN) 21-15, 21-18
Recent Malaysia Open champions from Europe:
2015 - Carolina Marin
2013 - Joachim Fischer/Christinna Pedersen
2012 - Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl
2009 - Tine Baun
2008 - Tine Baun
2007 - Peter Gade
2002 - Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms
Click HERE for all results of the Malaysia Open Superseries 2017.
Article by Manuel Rösler. Photo by BadmintonPhoto.