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Badminton star An Se-young secures sixth title of the season with powerful win at Japan Open

Published: 20 Jul. 2025, 15:52 Updated: 20 Jul. 2025, 17:16

An Se-young celebrates her victory against China's Wang Zhiyi during their women's singles final match on the final day of the Japan Open badminton tournament at Tokyo Gymnasium in Tokyo on July 20. [AP/YONHAP]

Badminton player An Se-young continued her dominant run on the international badminton circuit, clinching her sixth title of the season with a commanding win at the Japan Open.

The 23-year-old Korean player defeated world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi of China in straight games, 21-12, 21-10, in just 42 minutes at the women’s singles final held Sunday at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

Building on her victory at the Indonesia Open in June, An claimed back-to-back titles on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) tour. Her latest triumph adds to her victories this year at the Malaysia Open, India Open, Orleans Masters, All England Open and Indonesia Open.

Despite Wang’s recent rise to world No. 2 and emergence as An’s strongest rival, the Korean star maintained her unshakable edge. Sunday’s win marked her fourth straight victory over Wang in finals this season, extending her head-to-head record to 5-0.

The opening game was closely contested early on, with Wang opting for aggressive tactics from the outset to counter An’s superior stamina. An briefly trailed 5-7 but quickly regained composure to level the score at 7-7. From 10-10, she went on an eight-point run, shifting the momentum entirely in her favor before closing out the game 21-12 in 20 minutes.

An carried her form into the second game, establishing a steady lead by neutralizing Wang’s attacks and forcing errors through swift push shots. She pulled ahead 16-8, and though Wang mounted a brief two-point comeback late in the game, An remained in control. The match ended with a net exchange at 20-10, where An prevailed to seal the championship.

Riding high on her sixth title of the season, An will now set her sights on a seventh as she heads to Wang’s home turf for the upcoming China Open.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SONG JI-HOON [[email protected]]