Coach Lai Chien-cheng Guides Chiu Pin-chien to First Indonesia Open Quarterfinal

(Central News Agency, Taipei, June 4) At the BWF Super 1000 Indonesia Open, Taiwan's top women's singles player Chiu Pin-chien, under the guidance of former world No.1 Tai Tzu-ying's coach Lai Chien-cheng, defeated Thailand's Pitchamon Opatniputh 21-18, 21-19 to reach the quarterfinals of a Super 1000 event for the first time in her career.

The 27-year-old Chiu has risen to a career-high world ranking of 13th. In the round of 16, she faced world No. 24 Opatniputh, having lost both of their previous two encounters.

Chiu has been training under Lai Chien-cheng, the former coach of Tai Tzu-ying, since joining the national team in 2025, leading to significant improvements in her performance and technique. Last year, she won the Super 300 Korea Masters.

In their third meeting, the first game was tightly contested with 11 ties. After a 15-15 deadlock, Chiu reduced her unforced errors and used her superior stamina in long rallies to pull ahead, taking the first game 21-18.

The second game followed a similar pattern, featuring 13 ties and a grueling 46-shot rally. Despite being younger, Opatniputh fatigued more quickly, allowing Chiu to seize control late in the game and secure a straight-sets victory 21-19.

There are only four BWF Super 1000 tournaments annually, ranking in importance just below the Olympics, World Championships, and BWF World Tour Finals. Taiwanese women's singles players have won the Indonesia Open three times, all by Tai Tzu-ying.

In other action, world No. 6 men's singles star Chou Tien-chen faced his long-time rival, Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long, in the round of 16. The pair had met 20 times previously, with Chou holding an 11-9 advantage.

Chou won the first game 21-15 but lost the second 16-21. In the decisive third game, Chou accelerated from a 6-6 tie, unleashing a series of powerful smashes to spark an 8-2 run. Ng was unable to recover, and Chou closed out the match with a 21-14 victory in the final game. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150604