SEA-Games bound Goh Jin Wei will have to wait for her first Grand Prix Gold title when she was beaten in the final in the Yonex Taiwan Open Grand Prix Open by unseeded Japanese Saena Kawakami 21-17, 21-17 in a closely fought match at the Taipei Arena in Songshan.
The 39 minute match saw the Malaysian, the 2015 world junior champion, falter at the crucial stages in both sets after both players fought point for point. The Japanese rode on Jin Wei’s errors to clinch her first Grand Prix Gold in four finals this year – which left her in tears.
Jin Wei is Malaysia’s hope in the 29th Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August. She won the bronze medal at the last edition of the biennial games in Singapore in 2015.
Jin Wei will also feature for Malaysia in the Asian Junior Championships to be held in Jakarta from July 22-30 but will only play in the mixed team event.
The Penangite is also down to carry Malaysia’s challenge in the World Junior Championships – also to be held in Jakarta – from Oct 9-22. Another assignment for Jin Wei is the Asean Schools Championships to be held in Singapore from July 13-21.
In the men’s singles final -which was an-all Chinese Taipei affair top seed Chou Tien Chen came back from a set down to beat compatriot and second seed Wang Tzu Wei in a 77 minute thriller – prevailing 18-21, 21-19, 21-15. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
RESULTS (ALL FINALS)
MS: Chou Tien Chen (Tpe) beat Wang Tzu Wei (Tpe) 18-21, 21-19, 21-15
MD: Chen Hung Ling-Wang Chi-Lin (Tpe) beat Lee Jhe-huei-Lee Yang (Tpe) 21-16, 22-20
WS: Saena Kawakami (Jpn) beat Goh Jin Wei (Mas) 21-17, 21-17
WD: Chae Yoo-jung-Kim So-yeong (Kor) beat Kim Hye-rin-Yoo Hae-won (Kor) 21-12, 21-11
XD: Seo Seung-jae-Kim Ha-na (Kor) beat Wang Chi-Lin-Lee Chia-hsin (Tpe) 22-20, 21-10
