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Staff writer, with CNA
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Taiwanese shuttlers Lin Chih-chun and Yang Chu-yun on Sunday finished runners-up in the women’s doubles final against a Japanese duo at the Orleans Masters in France.
The match against Sumire Nakade and Miyu Takahashi lasted 65 minutes at the Palais des Sports.
In the opening game, the Taiwanese duo lost 20-22 after reaching game point at 20-19, as back-to-back return errors allowed their opponents to reel off three straight points.
From left, Taiwan’s Lin Chih-chun and Yang Chu-yun celebrate winning silver medals at the Orleans Masters in France on Sunday.
Photo: CNA
Lin and Yang took control in the second game, launching several strong rear-court attacks.
Capitalizing on repeated errors by Nakade, the duo leveled the match with a 21-12 win.
In the decisive third game, the Taiwanese got off to a good start, leading 11-9 after a technical timeout, but their Japanese opponents quickly pulled ahead with aggressive play to seal the match 21-18.
After the tournament, team coach Huang Po-yi said that Lin and Yang had a chance to win the match after leveling the score at 1-1.
“The momentum was on our side, but unfortunately in the third game, after the change of ends, our players hesitated a bit and their lack of experience showed, while their opponents played each shot decisively,” Huang said.
Huang said it was something of a surprise that Lin and Yang had reached the final, given their struggles in the past week.
“We will continue to test this duo in the future, although it’s not certain that they will stay together permanently. It will depend on the team’s overall adjustments,” he said.
The silver medal marked the best performance by Lin and Yang, who have teamed up for only three tournaments so far.
