Vietnamese badminton player loses Olympic clash with world's number one

Linh, ranked 49th in the world, took the lead for most of the first set. But with the score 16-14 in Linh’s favor, Tai scored seven consecutive points to claim victory.

In the second set, a tired Linh took the lead again before Tai made an even faster comeback. Losing her accuracy, Linh often hit outside the line.

Tai led 11-3 before the break. Although Linh tried to close the gap, she could only score eight more points and lost 11-21 in the second set. The game wrapped up with a victory for Tai.

"Tai Tzu Yin is my idol. Competing with your idol in a big event like this is already a dream come true. I gave my best in this game for my country. There is still one game left and I will keep fighting," Linh wrote on her Facebook after the game.

This victory kept Tai at the top of group P with two wins, followed by Linh and French player Qi Xuefei with one victory each. Swiss player Sabrina Jaquet is at the bottom with two losses.

Linh will play her last group stage game on July 28 with Jaquet. Since only the top player of the group will advance to the quarterfinals, Linh must win against Jaquet and hope Tai loses to Qi, which is unlikely to happen.

 

 

Vietnamese badminton player loses Olympic clash with world's number one

Thuỳ Linh 0-2 Tai Tzu Ying