Tai turns tables on Olympic champ Chen to win Thailand Open

World number two Tai Tzu-ying gained some revenge over Olympic champion Chen Yufei on Sunday by winning the Thailand Open women's singles final 21-15, 17-21, 21-12.

Tai Tzu-ying in action.

World number two Tai Tzu-ying gained some revenge over Olympic champion Chen Yufei on Sunday by winning the Thailand Open women's singles final 21-15, 17-21, 21-12.

Their encounter was a rematch of last year's Tokyo Olympics final where Tai, who was the world number one at the time, could only come away with silver.

The Taiwanese 27-year-old, who lost the Thailand Open final to Spain's Carolina Marin last year, was off to a fast start as she sped into a nine-point lead in the first game against China's world number four Chen and took it 21-15.

 

Chen, who was part of the Chinese women's team which was narrowly defeated by South Korea in last week's Uber Cup final in Bangkok, forced the match to a decider.

But Tai quickly opened up a seven-point lead and rode the momentum to claim victory.

Later, Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia defeated China's Li Shifeng in the men's singles final. In a match that lasted for one hour and 10 minutes, the Malaysian world number six won 17-21, 21-11, 23-21 to lift the Thailand Open trophy.