Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying (???) crashed out of the German Open in the second round of the women's singles Thursday, losing in straight sets to Sayaka Takahashi from Japan.
The world No. 1 and first seed Tai lost to Takahashi 21-15, 21-18 in 34 minutes at the Super 300 event that is being held March 8-13 at Westenergie Sporthalle in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany. The tournament has a total prize purse of US$180,000 up for grabs.
Tai last competed in the German Open in 2014, when she was knocked out in the first round, losing 21-16, 21-12 to Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand.
However, Tai is expected to compete in the All England Open, held March 16-20 at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England. The prestigious Super 1000 event carries a total purse of US$1 million.
Founded in 1899, the All England Open is the world's oldest badminton tournament and Tai won the event in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Last year was an excellent year for Tai, who achieved the first two podium finishes of her career at an Olympic Games and World Championships. She also won the BWF Female Player of the Year award in December 2021 in recognition of her achievements in 2020 and 2021.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel