Taiwanese Pair Advances at Taipei Open Amid Injury Concerns

Taiwanese mixed doubles duo Lee Chia-hsin and Wu Guan-hsun secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Super 300 Taipei Open badminton tournament on Thursday, defeating Malaysia's Low Sheng Foon and Zeng Wen Shi 21-18, 21-17. The victory brings them closer to their goal of achieving a strong performance on home soil.

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When I returned to compete this time, I really didn't overthink it; I just wanted to enjoy the feeling on the court.

Despite the win, Lee Chia-hsin expressed a primary wish for a safe completion of the tournament. She recently sustained an eye injury at the China Open, which required an ambulance to transport her to the hospital. This incident followed a severe ankle sprain she suffered previously. "Last week in China, I was taken away by ambulance after being hit in the eye, so when I returned to compete this time, I really didn't overthink it; I just wanted to enjoy the feeling on the court," Lee shared, still visibly affected by the close call.

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Our condition hasn't been very good lately, and with constant tournaments and no coach, our pairing has hit a bit of a bottleneck.

The partnership between Lee and Wu is nearing its two-year mark, but they have faced recent challenges, with their best result being a title win at an International Series event last year. "Our condition hasn't been very good lately, and with constant tournaments and no coach, our pairing has hit a bit of a bottleneck," Lee admitted. However, she believes that with the support of the home crowd, they can shift their mindset and focus on competing one match at a time, gradually finding consensus and balance through intensive post-match communication.

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The best thing we did today was that we withstood the disadvantage and communicated and adjusted with each other.

Wu Guan-hsun acknowledged the pressure but highlighted their resilience. "The best thing we did today was that we withstood the disadvantage and communicated and adjusted with each other," he said. The pair, along with other Taiwanese competitors, are determined to end a long championship drought for local mixed doubles teams at the Taipei Open. The last victory for a Taiwanese mixed doubles pair was in 2005, and the team is collectively aiming to keep the championship trophy in Taiwan.

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Everyone's common goal is very consistent, which is to go all out, hoping to keep the championship trophy in Taiwan.