Chou Tien-chen claims 1st win for Taiwan in men’s singles at Thailand Open

2019/08/06

Taiwan ace Chou Tien-chen claimed the men’s singles at the Thailand Open Aug. 4 in Bangkok to win his second Badminton World Federation tour title of the season.

The world No. 3 outlasted Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong 21-14, 11-21, 23-21 in 67 minutes. Chou, who did not drop a set in the competition’s earlier rounds, began the final confidently by racing out to an early lead.

In the second set, Ng kept Chou moving with a series of clever drop shots to level the match. The decider saw Chou fall behind 8-2, but the 29-year-old demonstrated his mental fortitude to even at 20-20 before wrapping up the set 23-21.

After the match, Chou said that Ng’s ability to open up the court combined with his speed had proved a stiff challenge. He was confident though in his ability to turn the match around as long as he continued to work hard and execute his game plan, he added.

Chou’s victory will see him rise one place to No. 2 when the world rankings are updated Aug. 6. The next stop for the badminton star will be the BWF World Championships Aug. 19-25 in Switzerland.

In July, Chou became the first Taiwan player to win the men’s singles at a BWF Super 1000 series event with his victory at the Indonesia Open. He has also previously won titles in France, Germany, Singapore and South Korea. (CPY-E)

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)