Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/29
By: Lee Chin-wei and Kay Liu

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) A man who has sold sausages outside stadiums throughout

(From the Chinatrust Brothers Fans Club Facebook page)

the 27-year history of professional baseball in Taiwan was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch before a game in New Taipei Sunday.

Chen Hsien-wen (陳憲問), who had played in the amateur baseball league in the past, pushed his sausage cart and entered the stadium in New Taipei’s Xinzhuang District before Sunday’s Chinatrust Brothers home game against the Lamigo Monkeys.

For the special event, the Chinatrust Brothers manager Wu Fu-lien (吳復連) played catcher for Chen. The team, unfortunately, lost the game 7-3.

“I was almost in tears,” the 61-year-old man said as he described his feelings after throwing the first pitch, part of the Chinatrust Brothers’ “For Those Years” event this weekend looking back at the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s (CPBL) history.    [FULL  STORY]

MAKING PROGRESS:Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas beat Milos Raonic in straight sets to secure himself a place in the quarter-finals for the first time in 18 Grand Slams

Taipei Times
Date: May 30, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter, with AP, PARIS

Taiwanese sisters Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan eased into the quarter-finals

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza returns to Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova in their French Open women’s singles fourth-round match at Roland Garros in Paris yesterday. Photo: AFP

of the women’s doubles at the French Open yesterday.

The third seeds defeated Madison Brengle of the US and Tatjana Maria of Germany 6-2, 6-4 on Court 17 at Roland Garros in Paris.

The Taiwanese duo saved three of six break points and converted six of nine, winning 60 of the 111 points contested despite serving up five double faults.

The third seeds next face a tough quarter-final against seventh-seeded Russian duo Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, who ousted 10th seeds Julia Goerges of Germany and Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in the third round.     [FULL  STORY]

NADAL WITHDRAWS:Spain’s Rafael Nadal rocked the competition late on Friday when he announced he was withdrawing due to an injured tendon in his left wrist

Taipei Times
Date: May 29, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter, with AFP and Reuters, PARIS

Taiwanese sisters Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan cruised into the third round

Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching, left, and Chan yung-jun pose together at the start of the French Open in Paris on May 21. Photo: Courtesy of Chan Hao-ching’s Facebook page

of the women’s doubles at the French Open yesterday, ousting British duo Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith 6-3, 6-2 on Court 3 at Roland Garros.

The third seeds, the second-most successful sister pairing in WTA history behind only Serena and Venus Willams, saved one of the two break points they faced and converted four of six, winning 65 of the 108 points contested to advance to a third-round clash with Madison Brengle of the US and Tatjana Maria of Germany.

Late on Friday on Court 6, seventh seeds Chan Yung-jan and Max Mirnyi battled into the second round of the mixed doubles with a tight 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Romanian duo Simona Halep and Horia Tecau.

The Taiwanese-Belarussian pairing saved three of seven break points and converted five of six, winning 72 of the 140 points contested to advance to a second-round clash on Court 17 against Serbian duo Jelena Jankovic and Nenad Zimonjic.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: May 28, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter, with AFP, PARIS

Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Chuang Chia-jung cruised into the second round of the mixed doubles

Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching, left, and Scotland’s Jamie Murray celebrate a point against Australia’s Daria Gavrilova and John Peers in the first round of the mixed doubles at the French Open in Paris on Thursday. Photo: Courtesy of Chan Hao-Ching’s Facebook page

at the French Open in Paris on Thursday.

Top seeds Chan and Jamie Murray eased past Australian duo Daria Gavrilova and John Peers 6-1, 6-2 on Court 15 at Roland Garros.

The Taiwanese-Scottish pairing saved one of the two break points they faced and converted five of eight, winning 52 of the 84 points contested to advance to a second-round clash against either Tatjana Maria of Germany and Nicolas Mahut of France or Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia and Rohan Bopanna of India.

On Court 8, Chuang and Henri Kontinen downed French duo Pauline Parmentier and Julien Benneteau 6-3, 6-3.

The Taiwanese-Finnish pairing saved both break points they faced and converted all three they created, winning 60 of the 101 points contested to advance to a second-round clash with either eighth-seeded US duo Coco Vandeweghe and Bob Bryan or French pairing Virginie Razzano and Vincent Millot.

Chan Hao-ching’s elder sister, Chan Yung-jan, and Max Mirnyi of Belarus, the seventh seeds, were due to take on Romanian duo Simona Halep and Horia Tecau in the first round late yesterday.

In the singles yesterday, fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza and sixth-seeded Simona Halep both reached the last 16, but in contrasting fashions.     [FULL  STORY]

PROMISING START:Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun played well enough to level world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at 4-4 in the first set, but then faded away, losing 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
Taipei Times
Date: May 26, 2016
By: AFP, PARIS

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, seeded 10th at the French Open, yesterday

Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei returns to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in their French Open women’s singles second-round match at Roland Garros in Paris yesterday. Photo: Reuters

beat Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the third round at Roland Garros in a much more comfortable outing than her opener against Danka Kovinic, where she had been just two points away from defeat at one stage.

Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012, next faces Shelby Rogers of the US.

“I am feeling good, I am healthy and that is important,” Kvitova said.

Novak Djokovic began his pursuit of the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection with a no-nonsense 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun in the first round on Tuesday.

The Serbian top seed now stands only six matches away from becoming the first man in almost 50 years to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/24
By: Lin Hung-han and Romulo Huang

Taipei, May 24 (CNA) U.S.-based Taiwanese pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (陳偉殷) has decided to add reasons for his donations to a charity fund he created last year, including getting the first hit and homer of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, according to Chen’s agent in Taiwan.

Chen will donate NT$50,000 (US$1,531) for getting the first hit of his MLB career, and NT$100,000 if he hits a home run, to the Chen Wei-yin Hope Foundation, his agent said.

Chen, 31, who has signed a five-year, US$80 million deal with the Miami Marlins, which includes a sixth-year vesting option, earlier this year after four years with Baltimore Orioles, set up his foundation last November to expand his causes from baseball to animal protection and child welfare.

He decided to add his batting performance to the reasons for his donations to the charity fund, as he will now need to bat for the Marlins, which is a member of the National League.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/22
By: Li Chin-wei and CNA intern Brook Hsiao

Taipei, May 22 (CNA) Taiwanese golfers Teresa Lu (盧曉晴) and Tsai Pei-ying (蔡佩穎)

Taiwanese golfers Teresa Lu. (File photo courtesy of Kyodo News)

finished in a tie for fifth at the Chukyo TV Bridgestone Ladies Open Tournament in Japan on Sunday two shots behind the winner Ai Suzuki of Japan.

Lu, Tsai and three other three Taiwanese players, Liu Yi-zhen (劉依貞), Phoebe Yao (姚宣榆) and Hsieh Yu-ling (謝瑀玲) were entered in the tournament, but Liu missed the cut.

Lu and Tsai both fired final round 69s on Sunday to finish at 7-under 209 for the tournament. They had started the day tied for 10th.

Yao entered the third round tied for 31st at 1-under for the tournament, but scored a 75 on Sunday to finish the event tied for 44th at 2-over par.

Hsieh also carded a 75 in Sunday’s final round and finished tied for 48th.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/22
By: Li Chin-wei and CNA intern Brook Hsiao

Taipei, May 22 (CNA) Taiwanese golfers Teresa Lu (盧曉晴) and Tsai Pei-ying (蔡佩穎)

Taiwanese golfers Teresa Lu. (File photo courtesy of Kyodo News)

finished in a tie for fifth at the Chukyo TV Bridgestone Ladies Open Tournament in Japan on Sunday two shots behind the winner Ai Suzuki of Japan.

Lu, Tsai and three other three Taiwanese players, Liu Yi-zhen (劉依貞), Phoebe Yao (姚宣榆) and Hsieh Yu-ling (謝瑀玲) were entered in the tournament, but Liu missed the cut.

Lu and Tsai both fired final round 69s on Sunday to finish at 7-under 209 for the tournament. They had started the day tied for 10th.

Yao entered the third round tied for 31st at 1-under for the tournament, but scored a 75 on Sunday to finish the event tied for 44th at 2-over par.     [FULL  STORY]

CODE VIOLATION:Fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios was in trouble again on the first day at Roland Garros after screaming at a ball boy shivering on Court One

Taipei Times
Date: May 23, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter, with AFP, PARIS

Taiwanese No. 1 Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the second round of the women’s singles at the

Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei watches the ball against Lara Arruabarrena of Spain in their French Open women’s singles match at Roland Garros in Paris yesterday. Photo: EPA

French Open at Roland Garros yesterday, while controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios overcame a code violation to advance in the men’s singles as the second Grand Slam of the year got off to a damp, chilly start.

Kaohsiung-born world No. 83 Hsieh hit 36 winners, including a backhand winner on match point, on her way to a 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 victory over Spanish world No. 78 Lara Arruabarrena on Court 14.

The Taiwanese saved just one of five break points, but she converted six of 13, winning more than 64 percent of points on her first serve and 72 of the 131 points contested to set up a second-round clash with two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

Czech 10th seed Kvitova survived a scare to beat Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Kvitova was two points away from defeat when she trailed the world No. 57 at 4-5 in the decider, but she claimed the next three games.     [FULL  STORY]

HOPES STILL ALIVE:Taiwan had already qualified for the quarter-finals, where Chou Tien-chen faced Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in the men’s singles group match yesterday

Taipei Times
Date: May 20, 2016
By: AP, KUNSHAN, China

Taiwan lost 3-2 to Denmark in their Group D Thomas Cup badminton match on Wednesday,

Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen yesterday returns to Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in their men’s singles quarter-final group match at the Thomas Cup badminton tournament in Kunshan, China. Photo: AFP

while China easily beat defending champion Japan 5-0 in their final Group A match.

Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen breezed past Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-16, 21-13 before Mads Conrad-Petersen paired with Mads Pieler Kolding to beat Lee Sheng-mu and Tsai Chia-hsin 22-20, 21-9, giving a 2-0 lead to already qualified Denmark.

Taiwan, which finished second in the group and also qualified for the quarter-finals, pulled one back through Hsu Jen-hao’s 13-21, 21-16, 21-19 victory over Jan O Jorgensen in a marathon match which lasted 79 minutes.

Mathias Boe and Mathias Christiansen then earned Denmark a decisive 3-1 lead when they beat Wang Chi-lin and Chen Hung-ling 21-17, 19-21, 21-17.     [FULL  STORY]