Ahn Se-young, Wangz were hit by a counterattack on 'sick defense'... We need the new strategy of "The Empress"

*This content was translated by AI.

It was an unexpected complete defeat.

Badminton Empress Ahn Se-young (24, world No. 1 in Samsung Life Insurance) bowed her head in front of the milestone. It was a rather shocking result in that he was reversely used by his main skills by his opponent, who was overwhelmed like a "natural enemy."

Ahn Se-young lost 0-2 (15-21, 19-21) to world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi (15-21, 19-21) in the women's singles final of the 2026 World Badminton Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 1000 World Open at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England on the 8th (local time).

I missed a lot. Ahn Se-young failed to achieve her second consecutive victory in the 2012 British Open, the most prestigious of the 127-year-old tradition, and ended her 36-game winning streak at international competitions and 16 consecutive wins this year. Wang Zhi has won 10 consecutive games since December 2024 and lost in a year and three months.

One of the secrets of Ahn Se-young's rise to the top of the world is the "sick defense" that suffocates the opponent's breath. However, in the final match, Ahn Se-young was seen struggling with Wang Zhi's iron wall defense.

Of course, on this day, Ahn Se-young showed her unique fantastic defense, drawing cheers from the audience. But Wang Zhi was no less. He blocked Ahn Se-young's sharp attack that penetrated every corner of the court several times. Sometimes, he lost points due to insufficient ability and lied on the floor, but smiled lightly as if he knew the opponent's strategy.

Wang Zhi's persistent defense forced Ahn Se-young to be dragged around, making a series of mistakes, such as shots crossing the line or failing to cross the net after a long rally. Ahn Se-young seemed less tired on her face, but the winner was Wangz.

"Ahn Se-young is a really consistent and great player," Wang said in an interview after winning. "She always shows the best performance. "When dealing with Ahn, we have to pour everything into our tactics," he said, implying that he thoroughly analyzed the opponent's playing style.

But it's only one loss. Ahn Se-young still maintains an overwhelming 18-5 advantage in his career performance with Wang Zhi. Since the two are in their mid-20s side by side, there are countless opportunities to face each other every year, including the Olympics, Asian Games, and World Championships.

However, as it was hit by the opponent's "counterattack operation," it is time for a new and stronger strategy to keep the "Queen" position. Fans are still expressing their expectations because he has risen back up like a rotuk despite many difficulties, including constant injuries and discord within the national team.

After the defeat, Ahn Se-young said on her SNS, "Unfortunately, today is not the day. I did my best, but the opponent played better. Congratulations on Wang Zhi's first win at the Jeon Young Open, he said. "There are a lot of things to improve while looking back on this game. I will come back stronger next time," he vowed.

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*This content was translated by AI.