With three back-to-back tournaments coming to Bangkok next month, we examine which participant entered to the YONEX Thailand Open (12-17 January) and TOYOTA Thailand Open (19-24 January) has won the most titles on Thai soil in the last five years. We continue with women’s singles.

HAPPY HUNTER

Player: Chen Yu Fei

World ranking: 2

Seed number in Thailand: 2

Titles won in Thailand since 2015: 4

Chen really counts Thailand as her happy hunting ground, because glory has come her way in individual and team tournaments.

The 22-year-old was in the Chinese squad that triumphed in back-to-back Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships in 2015 and 2016, winning her women’s singles final against Hyang Im Kim the second year. It was also the edition when she won the individual crown by beating fourth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 25-23 21-14.

Last year, Chen lifted her first Super 500 title on HSBC BWF World Tour, besting crowd darling Ratchanok Intanon 22-20 21-18 in the TOYOTA Thailand Open final.

HOW IS THE RECORD OF THE TOP 10 SEEDS LIKE?

Among those seeded next month, only Akane Yamaguchi (Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters 2020), Nozomi Okuhara (TOYOTA Thailand Open 2018) and He Bing Jiao (Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2015) have won individual titles in Thailand. Yamaguchi and Okuhara were also part of Japan’s 2018 Uber Cup-winning squad.

FUN FACT

Top seed Tai Tzu Ying has only competed once in Thailand – nine years ago at the SCG Thailand Open GP Gold 2011. The Chinese Taipei star went out in the Round of 16 to homester Porntip Buranaprasertsuk.