Chou Tien-chen ousted in Thailand Open semifinals

Taipei, May 16 (CNA) Taiwan's top male badminton player Chou Tien-chen (周天成) bowed out in the men's singles semifinals at the 2026 Thailand Open on Saturday after losing in straight games to Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

The world No. 6 Chou, seeded fourth at the Super 500 tournament, lost to the world No. 2 Thai 21-7, 21-19 in 53 minutes. The victory improved Vitidsarn's head-to-head record against Chou to 3-5.

Chou, 36, trailed throughout the opening game after the score was tied 2-2. His relatively passive approach allowed the 25-year-old Thai to capitalize on Chou's defensive clears with powerful smashes while committing few unforced errors.

The Taiwanese veteran appeared more aggressive in the second game and took leads of 3-2 and 7-6 before Vitidsarn responded with a 5-0 run and never trailed again.

After falling behind 14-8, Chou rallied to cut the deficit to 20-19 before Vitidsarn converted his third match point.

Despite the loss, Chou still recorded his best result in a BWF World Tour event this year. The only other event in which he reached the semifinals this year was in the Asia Championships in April.