The Taiwanese Tai Tzu Ying was proclaimed master of the badminton circuit this Sunday for the second time and, like the first, in 2020, at the expense of the Spanish Carolina Marín, who shone with a great game in the first set but cannot maintain control in the next two rounds (12-21, 21-14 and 21-18).
Marín, three-time world champion, one-time Olympic champion and six-time European champion, aspired to obtain the only major title missing from her list, that of the BWF circuit finals. But she didn't make it in Hangzhou (China), after a close fight with Tai for one hour and three minutes.
The theoretical equality between both finalists, the Taiwanese fourth in the world, the Spanish fifth, took little time to be broken in the first stages in favor of Marín, who made few errors, while his rival could not find any other way than to take risks and repeatedly sent the steering wheel out of bounds.
Marín was brilliant near the net, with definitive shots at Tai's feet. At 14-8, they played a very long point with 30 exchanges that ended with the Asian on the ground, in an attempt to reach the impossible. Marín was grown up, quick with reflexes, and she extended her lead to 20-11. Tai saved the first game point but on her second a shot by Marín forced her to force a return.
In the second game there were no significant advantages until Tai's 15-11, which raised doubts in the Andalusian's game. For the first time he chained a long series of errors and his rival took advantage of them, punishing Marín at the net, and took the set 21-14.
It was difficult for Marín to overcome that bump. He was seen making unusual gestures for her, such as raising his hand to his head as a sign of desperation. But with two winners in a row (6-4) she got back to work.
Tai hurt his right leg trying to reach the shuttlecock (8-6) and took a few seconds to recover, although he was able to continue without problems.
After an error by Marín, who missed a serve that was going inside, and a help to Tai from the net, the Taiwanese took the lead with a shot from the Spanish outside (11-10). Marín never took the lead again. His rival showed an aggressiveness and precision that had not been seen until then, she expanded margins and took four match points (20-16). Marín avoided the first two, but finished wide in the third.
Both finalists have played 23 times, now with one more victory, 12-11, for the Taiwanese. Of her five games this year, three have been for the Spanish.
Marín closes the season with two titles, after his victories in the Orleans Masters, in April, and in the European Games, in July. He also played in the finals of the world championships, the Indonesian Masters and the Denmark Open.
