Chou Tien-chen Falls to Kunlavut, Misses Men's Singles Final at Thailand Open
In the men's singles semifinals of the Thailand Badminton Open, Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen was defeated by Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, failing to advance to the finals. The women's doubles pair of Hu Ling-fang and Cheng Yu-chieh also lost in the semifinals, ending the Taiwanese contingent's run before the championship matches.
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- 📰 Published: May 16, 2026 at 21:14
- 🔍 Collected: May 16, 2026 at 21:31 (17 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 16, 2026 at 21:51 (19 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 16th) At the BWF Super 500 series Thailand Open, 'Taiwan's Ace' Chou Tien-chen fought a 53-minute battle against local star Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men's singles semifinals today, ultimately losing 7-21, 19-21, and missing his first chance to reach a final this season.
World number 6 Chou Tien-chen, seeded 4th in the men's singles at this week's Badminton World Federation (BWF) Thailand Open, faced off against world number 2 and local star Kunlavut Vitidsarn after successfully reaching the semifinals. In their seven previous encounters, Chou held a 5-2 advantage and was on a three-match winning streak.
However, Chou could not replicate his past dominance today. After the first game started, his opponent frequently found opportunities. Especially after trailing 6-11 at the technical timeout, Chou not only failed to turn the tide but his offense was stifled, scoring only one more point and quickly falling far behind, conceding the first game 7-21.
Facing a must-win situation, Chou engaged in a tight battle with his opponent at the start of the second game, but his form then declined, and the score gap gradually widened. However, Chou mounted a furious comeback after the technical timeout, even saving two match points to close the gap to just one point. Unfortunately, he still lost the final point, falling 19-21 and narrowly missing out on a ticket to the final.
Additionally, the world number 31 Taiwanese women's doubles pair, Hu Ling-fang and Cheng Yu-chieh, who reached the semifinals of a Super 500 event for the first time in their careers, were defeated 18-21, 17-21 by the Chinese pair Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan, also missing out on their first title as a pair. (Editor: Wu Su-jou) 1150516
World number 6 Chou Tien-chen, seeded 4th in the men's singles at this week's Badminton World Federation (BWF) Thailand Open, faced off against world number 2 and local star Kunlavut Vitidsarn after successfully reaching the semifinals. In their seven previous encounters, Chou held a 5-2 advantage and was on a three-match winning streak.
However, Chou could not replicate his past dominance today. After the first game started, his opponent frequently found opportunities. Especially after trailing 6-11 at the technical timeout, Chou not only failed to turn the tide but his offense was stifled, scoring only one more point and quickly falling far behind, conceding the first game 7-21.
Facing a must-win situation, Chou engaged in a tight battle with his opponent at the start of the second game, but his form then declined, and the score gap gradually widened. However, Chou mounted a furious comeback after the technical timeout, even saving two match points to close the gap to just one point. Unfortunately, he still lost the final point, falling 19-21 and narrowly missing out on a ticket to the final.
Additionally, the world number 31 Taiwanese women's doubles pair, Hu Ling-fang and Cheng Yu-chieh, who reached the semifinals of a Super 500 event for the first time in their careers, were defeated 18-21, 17-21 by the Chinese pair Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan, also missing out on their first title as a pair. (Editor: Wu Su-jou) 1150516