"Final against An Se-young, a very difficult challenge" Joy is fleeting, India already tense... "Shindu has faced her 10 times and never won"

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'Queen of Badminton' An Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance, World No. 1) advanced to the French Open final, bringing her 10th individual title of the year within reach.

On the 24th (Korean time), at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour French Open (Super 750) women's singles semifinal held in Paris, France, An defeated Okuhara Nozomi (Japan, World No. 9) 2-0 (21-12, 21-19).

Having advanced to the final, An now has just one match left before claiming the championship.

If she wins this tournament, she will achieve her 10th individual title of the season. Simultaneously, she will stand atop the podium for the fifth consecutive event, following the World Championships, China Masters, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and Denmark Open.

She is also challenging for a third consecutive French Open title. An won this tournament in both 2024 and 2025.

Her dominant run this season continues. Including her victory over Okuhara, her season record stands at 65 wins and 1 loss. Her winning percentage reaches an impressive 98.5%.

An's performance was stable on the day as well. Leading 18-11 in the first game, An took complete control of the flow with sharp attacks. She ultimately secured the first game comfortably at 21-12.

In the second game, she faced a fierce comeback attempt from Okuhara. While leading 18-13, An conceded three consecutive points but immediately added to her score again, breaking her opponent's momentum. In the closing stages, she also induced errors from her opponent, securing her place in the final in straight games.

An's final opponent will be India's star player P.V. Sindhu (World No. 11). Sindhu also advanced to the final on the day, defeating Japan's Akechi Hina (World No. 22) 2-1 (21-10, 20-22, 21-16) in the semifinal.

However, the joy of reaching the final is short-lived. Local media in India focused on the fact that Sindhu's final opponent is An Se-young, predicting it would be a tough match.

Indian Express reported on Sindhu's advancement to the final, stating, "The next opponent is World No. 1 An Se-young," and forecasting, "The final is expected to be a very difficult challenge for Sindhu."

Indeed, An is an opponent Sindhu has yet to overcome. The two players have met 10 times so far, with An recording a perfect 10-0 record.

The media noted, "An has faced Sindhu 10 times and has never lost," adding, "She holds an overwhelming advantage with a 10-win, no-loss record against her opponent."

It further stated, "This final is a stage for Sindhu to challenge for another major tournament title," while also noting, "At the same time, it is an opportunity to defeat An Se-young, the overwhelming opponent she has never been able to beat, for the first time."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original