Let’s look at some interesting information about the Super 300 YONEX Taipei Open 2023 as it enters its 43rd year.

• No nation other than Korea in 2013 have done a sweep. Hosts Chinese Taipei are the sole team with seeds in all five categories this year.
• Chinese Taipei have also produced winners at the last five editions – the longest such run since Indonesia’s 11 in a row (1990-2002). There were no competitions in 1998 and 2001.
• Their idol Tai Tzu Ying has won four of the most recent nine women’s singles crowns.
• Tai is also the only one of the starting three top seeds with previous success.
• Another local favourite, second seed Chou Tien Chen, has the chance to become the first athlete since Danish women’s singles shuttler Kirsten Larsen in 1988 to win three editions in a row.
• No male player has accomplished the feat.
• Glory will leave Chinese Taipei with the most titles in women’s singles. They are tied on six with Indonesia, Korea and Denmark.
• Women’s doubles is the category they have gone the longest without winning, after Cheng Wen Hsing/Chien Yu Chin in 2008. They have two seeded pairs this time – Lee Chia Hsin/Teng Chun Hsun (third) and Hsu Ya Ching/Lin Wan Ching (seventh).
• Indonesia, meanwhile, have not had luck in men’s singles after Tommy Sugiarto’s triumph in 2011, a wait eighth seed Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo will hope to end.
• If defending champions Man Wei Chong/Kai Wun Tee or top seeds Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi succeed, Malaysia will become the first country this century to win men’s doubles three consecutive times.
• Fourth seeds Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei are strong bets to add to their solitary mixed doubles title from 2004 courtesy of Kien Keat Koo/Pei Tty Wong.
• Since the beginning of the last decade, only four nations have toasted mixed doubles champions – Indonesia, Korea, China and Hong Kong China.
• Malaysia are yet to ace women’s doubles but possess the second seeds in Vivian Hoo/Lim Chiew Sien.
• Starting with Indonesia in 2015, the category has seen winners from a different country each season – China (2016), Korea (2017), Japan (2018), Thailand (2019) and Hong Kong China (2022).
• Sugiarto, Ko Sung Hyun (2011, 2015), Chou (2016-2017, 2019, 2022), Tai (2012, 2016, 2018, 2022), Wang Chi-lin (2017-2018), Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong (2019), Man/Tee (2022) and Shin Baek Cheol (2013) are 10 ex-champions competing this edition.
• Wang, Goh and Tan however, are back alongside new sidekicks while Ko partners Shin in men’s doubles.
• Despite top seed Kodai Naraoka’s withdrawal, Japan can place their hopes on Kenta Nishimoto (No.4) and Kanta Tsuneyama (No.6) for a maiden men’s singles titlist.

Standout Stat: Five of the seven starting men’s singles seeds are from Japan, India and Hong Kong China – countries that have never won the discipline.