Chou Tien-chen vows to bounce back after Taipei Open semifinal heartbreak

Taiwanese badminton star Chou Tien-chen narrowly missed a chance to compete for the title at his home tournament, the Taipei Open. The 36-year-old veteran fell in the men's singles semifinals to 21-year-old Japanese fourth seed Yuta Antsumi, losing 21-15, 15-21, 20-22 after holding two match points.

Chou, who won the China Open the previous week, battled fatigue but acknowledged his opponent's resilience. "The opponent was very tenacious and his net speed was very fast, which limited my offense," Chou explained. "So later I actively fought for the ball to create opportunities, but his defense was very good and he could always neutralize my attacks. I also didn't manage the key points well."

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The opponent was very tenacious and his net speed was very fast, which limited my offense. So later I actively fought for the ball to create opportunities, but his defense was very good and he could always neutralize my attacks. I also didn't manage the key points well.

Despite the disappointment, Chou thanked the fans who filled the stadium to cheer him on. "Thank you for everyone's support, but as I said, I can't decide the outcome, but I can decide my attitude," he stated. "Although it's a pity, I will definitely stand up again."

Chou's defeat means Taiwan will not have a singles champion at the home event. Other Taiwanese players also fell in the semifinals across different categories, with only the mixed doubles pair of Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang reaching the finals. Chou now shifts his focus to recovering and training for the World Championships in India in two weeks.

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Thank you for everyone's support, but as I said, I can't decide the outcome, but I can decide my attitude. Although it's a pity, I will definitely stand up again.