KUALA LUMPUR – World number four Chinese women’s shuttler Chen Yu Fei will take on eighth seed Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand tomorrow in the finals of the Malaysia Open at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil.
Playing against second seed Tai Tzu Ying from Taiwan today in the semi-finals, Yu Fei came from a set down to force the game into the third set.
But luck did not favour four-time Malaysia Open winner Tzu Ying as she suffered an injury to her right elbow midway through the final set.
She fell and landed between the court's edge and outer carpet, resulting in a nasty bruise that needed medical aid.
Despite pushing on, it was clear that the bruise weakened the shuttler’s performance as Yu Fei caught up and won the match 19-21, 21-13, 21-15.
This meant Tzu Ying won’t be able to defend her Malaysia Open title after winning the previous three editions.
Meeting Yu Fei in the finals tomorrow will be Intanon, who took down China’s Wang Zhi Yi 21-8, 21-18.
After the win, Intanon said the match was difficult even though the score showed a big difference.
“She (Zhi Yi) has beaten a lot of top players before, so it was tough for me.
“But I prepared well and played a good match. It was point-for-point in the second set but I just remained calm,” she said.
The Thai player also added that she loves spending time in Malaysia and loves the local cuisine.
“I really like Bah Kut Teh, Datuk Lee Chong Wei’s sister takes me out to eat whenever I am in Malaysia. She has made me her idol.” – The Vibes, July 2, 2022.
