'Historic comeback' An Se-young, miraculous five consecutive points → defeats Japan's Yamaguchi to claim title... wins Singapore Open for the third time in her career

*This content was translated by AI.

Even severe physical struggles and the looming threat of defeat on the brink of elimination could not break the formidable mental strength of 'empress' An Se-young (24, Samsung Life). Overcoming high fever and headaches with superhuman determination, An Se-young completed a heart-stopping comeback drama and rose to the top of Asia.

World No. 1 An Se-young defeated world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) 2-1 (21-11, 17-21, 21-19) in a grueling 1-hour and 4-minute battle to claim the title in the women's singles final of the 2026 BWF World Tour Super 750 Singapore Open held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on the 31st (Korean time).

With this victory, An Se-young achieved a historic feat by winning the tournament for the third time in her career, following her titles in 2023 and 2024. She also avenged her disappointment from the runner-up finish at the All England Open in March, after sweeping the Malaysia Open and India Open in late January and winning the Asian Championships in April, securing her fourth individual trophy of the 2026 season. Her head-to-head record against Yamaguchi, once considered her nemesis, improved to 18 wins and 15 losses, and she continued her dominant form with four consecutive wins in recent matchups and a 7-1 record over the last eight encounters.

This victory was a miracle created by An Se-young's mental fortitude. Even during the semi-finals held the previous day against China's Chen Yufei, she struggled with severe headaches and dizziness, forcing her to pause the match mid-game. On the day of the final, she was reportedly suffering from a high fever and was not in optimal physical condition.

Despite this, An Se-young dominated the court with her signature focus. Although she faced some difficulty early in the first game against Yamaguchi's aggressive attacks, she seized the first lead at 6-6 with a backhand push and then took control of the momentum. Through her experienced game management, An Se-young built a 11-6 lead and won the first set 21-11.

The second game ended in a disappointing comeback loss. An Se-young took an early 9-3 lead, but her defensive focus wavered in the middle of the game, allowing Yamaguchi to tie the score at 12-12. Although she extended her lead to 15-12, she struggled against Yamaguchi's offensive pressure, conceding four consecutive points from 17-17 and ultimately losing the game 17-21.

The fateful third game was a thrilling contest filled with repeated comebacks and heart-stopping rallies. An Se-young made unforced errors against Yamaguchi's unconventional tactics, allowing her to take a 13-14 lead. Furthermore, she committed service errors she rarely makes, falling behind 14-16.

The essence of the historic comeback came in the final moments of the match. Although trailing 16-19 with a heavy sense of defeat, An Se-young unleashed her power by landing consecutive powerful smashes, scoring three consecutive points to tie the game at 19-19 in an instant.

Having completely pressured her opponent mentally, An Se-young created another match point at 19-19 with a powerful jump smash. In the final rally, after a tenacious defensive effort, she forced an unforced error from Yamaguchi to end the match 21-19.

Even in the worst circumstances of injury and poor physical condition, An Se-young rose to the top based on her mental strength. Without a moment to catch her breath, she will now compete in the BWF World Tour Super 1000 Indonesia Open, which opens on the 2nd, to continue her challenge for back-to-back titles.

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*This content was translated by AI.