Tai has dished out single-digit games to some of the best players in the world this week. The 21-year-old Taiwanese fought past 2012 London Olympics champion, world no.4 Li Xuerui in the second round and seemed to raise herself into a different league, picking up three more top-6 victories in thunderous fashion to lock up the Superseries Premier title. She gave world no.5 Nozomi Okuhara a 21-8 decider in R16, and allowed also just less than 10 points in the first game in the semifinal win against no.6 Wang Shixian by 21-9, 21-15, and finally swept aside world no.3 Wang Yihan on Sunday in a dominating 21-17, 21-8 victory in 34 minutes.
It was the first event ever where
Tai had to play all the three former world no.1s from China. This is
Tai’s ninth major final and now she holds five titles off them to her name (including the 2014 Superseries Finals title).
Tai scored four top-6 wins in a row
. Credit: Badmintonphoto
Korea’s top men’s doubles and mixed doubles teams
Lee Yong Dae/
Yoo Yeon Seong and
Ko Sung Hyun/
Kim Ha Na also made it to the final Sunday. Both went into three-game battles with their Chinese opponents but ended with mixed fortunes. Lee and Yoo emerged victorious coming from behind to beat fifth seeds Chai/Hong, while Ko/Kim fell to another fifth-seeded pair of Xu/Ma.