Tai Trips Marin’s Summit Ascent
The season finale remained tantalisingly out of reach for Carolina Marin, the Spaniard once again denied the year’s biggest prize by Tai Tzu Ying.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Twice Marin has been there in the title round of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, within reach of the only major title to elude her, and twice she has been stopped by an inspired spell of play. On Sunday Marin couldn’t hide her disappointment after Tai Tzu Ying summitted the mountaintop after being on shaky ground for much of the final.
Tai’s monumental semifinal win over An Se Young, which she won after trailing 10-19, appeared to have cost her dearly in energy, and through the early passage of play she looked listless. Marin was all bustle and attacking drive; Tai missed routine shots and it looked like the title was there for the taking for the Spaniard.
Something changed after the interval in the second. Tai revealed later that she’d just fed off the energy of the crowd chanting her name; the effect was dramatic, for she came out with greater intent and the complexion of the match shifted. With each winning point the spark returned, and so did the unveiling of the conjuror’s tricks that kept Marin constantly on edge.