"I thought I wouldn't be able to win this time" — Shock as even the BWF gives An Se-young an 'unprecedented shout-out'... A deluge of historic praise

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Even the Badminton World Federation (BWF) showered An Se-young (24, Samsung Life Insurance) with praise. The federation could not contain its amazement at her fighting spirit as she overcame injury setbacks and a significant point deficit to defeat the legendary Susy Susanti of Indonesia and set a new record for the most titles in history.

On the 19th (Korean time), the BWF highlighted An Se-young's dramatic comeback in the Denmark Open final and her achievement of a new record on its official website, referring to her as an "An-Stoppable Force" (a play on words meaning An Se-young's unstoppable momentum).

Regarding An Se-young, who has written an unprecedented record, the federation stated, "When she was trailing 5-11 during the interval of the third game, it seemed that An Se-young's historic moment would be postponed until next week." It added, "But at the very moment doubt began to rise, the true champion that fans know best emerged."

It further described, "She then swept 11 of the next 12 points, and nothing could stand in the way of the world No. 1 claiming her 47th career title."

Badminton queen An Se-young defeated world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in a grueling two-hour, 27-minute battle to win the women's singles final of the BWF World Tour Super 750 Denmark Open held in Odense, Denmark, on the 18th, with a set score of 2-1 (21-23, 21-14, 21-18). With this victory, An Se-young secured her 47th international tournament title, surpassing Susy Susanti (46 titles) to stand as the women's singles player with the most championships in badminton history.

The process of achieving the record was dramatic. After slipping on the court during the second game, she fell behind 5-11 early in the third game due to pain in her right Achilles tendon, but completed a grand comeback by leveling the score at 12-12 with her characteristic indomitable focus.

Through the BWF, An Se-young expressed her thoughts, saying, "I want to write a lot of history and break records, but I always focus on one match at a time." She added, "The biggest motivation for me is that fans come to watch me and enjoy every match I play."

Regarding her injury situation, she stated, "The court conditions were tricky, so I slipped, and my physical condition is not very good. I will consult with the trainer to check my condition before deciding on future plans." However, she described the situation at the time, saying, "In the third game, as the court became slower, I gained greater confidence and passion, and I thought, 'This is my victory.'"

She also did not forget to show respect for her rival Akane Yamaguchi, with whom she played their 39th match, extending her overall head-to-head record to 24 wins and 15 losses and a streak of 10 consecutive victories against the Japanese player. An Se-young said, "Yamaguchi is my greatest rival. I always want to beat her, and she is a stimulant that makes me train harder." She added, "Wang Yihan and Chen Yufei (both from China) are also excellent rivals, and I am glad they exist. The presence of rivals helps me develop further."

An Se-young is on an astonishing pace with 61 wins and one loss in the 62nd matches she has played this year, boasting a winning percentage of 98.4%. She proved her status as the world's strongest by reaching the top spot for the fourth consecutive tournament, following the World Championships, the China Masters, and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with her victory at the Denmark Open.

The champion's challenge continues. An Se-young will attempt to win her third consecutive title at the French Open (Super 750), which opens in Paris, France, on the 20th local time. Her opponent in the first round of 32 is Puspita R. Bhingkartha Sindhu of India (ranked No. 10), against whom she has a perfect record of 10 wins in 10 matches.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original