Yamaguchi wins, yet the 'An Se-young story' emerges... Even at rest, her presence is this commanding: Foreign media say "What dominated this season was An Se-young"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Even on the day Japan's Akane Yamaguchi claimed victory, the presence of Korea's badminton 'queen' An Se-young (24, Samsung Life) remained unmistakable.

World No. 2 Yamaguchi defeated China's Wang Zhiyi, ranked world No. 3, 2-0 (21-14, 22-20) in the women's singles final of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Kumamoto Masters (Super 500), held on the 15th at the Kumamoto Prefectural General Gymnasium in Japan. She lifted her fourth title of the season before home fans.

However, despite Yamaguchi's victory, foreign media also gave significant attention to An Se-young, who did not participate in this tournament. India's Economic Times reported, "Yamaguchi defeated Wang Zhiyi to win the Kumamoto Masters held in her home country, while world No. 1 An Se-young, on a winning streak, was absent."

The outlet added, "In women's badminton this season, which has been dominated by An Se-young, Yamaguchi secured her fourth title," noting that "An Se-young reached the top spot a remarkable 11 times, including at the World Championships and the Asian Games, and lost only one match this year."

Looking at An Se-young's record this year reveals why such an assessment was made. She recorded 71 wins and just one loss in 72 matches. Her win rate reaches approximately 98.6%. Since losing to Wang Zhiyi in the All England Open final in March, she has been on a 55-match winning streak.

She also claimed titles at major tournaments such as the World Championships and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. At the World Championships last August, she defeated Wang Zhiyi 2-0 (24-22, 21-16) in the semifinals before crushing Yamaguchi 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) in the final. She reclaimed the world title for the first time in three years since 2023.

Her momentum did not wane even as the season neared its end. In the French Open final last month, she came from behind to win after dropping the first game against India's P.V. Sindhu, taking the next two games in a row. She also defeated Yamaguchi 2-1 (21-12, 15-21, 21-16) in the Korea Open final held on the 8th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla-Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Although she dropped the second game, allowing the match to return to a tie, she secured the deciding game. This marked her 11th title of the season and extended her winning streak against Yamaguchi to 11 matches. The Economic Times did not miss this record either, reporting that "Yamaguchi has lost all of her last 11 head-to-head encounters with An Se-young."

An Se-young, who had been running without rest, chose to take a break after the Korea Open. Instead of participating in the Kumamoto Masters, she decided to adjust her physical condition and prepare for the season's final stage.

An Se-young's absence also presented competitors with an opportunity to aim for victory. During the tournament, media from China and Japan reported expectations that their respective national players would win.

Earlier, the sports channel of China's Beijing Youth Daily assessed, "This tournament is the best chance for the Chinese team to claim the women's singles title. It is a harsh reality, but it is true."

The outlet cited An Se-young's absence as the reason, explaining that "If An Se-young were to participate, players from China, Japan, or any other country would essentially be fighting only for second place," and noted that Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei had a rare opportunity to reach the top.

Japan's J Sports also highlighted as a key point of interest whether Yamaguchi could claim her second Kumamoto Masters title in two years.

The player who seized that opportunity was Yamaguchi. After advancing to the final following Chen Yufei's withdrawal due to injury in the semifinals, Yamaguchi overcame Wang Zhiyi at the final hurdle.

After the match, Yamaguchi said, "There are not many tournaments held in Japan. That is especially true in Kumamoto, which is the home base of my affiliated team."

She added, expressing joy, "I was able to win in front of those who support me. It gave me a happiness different from what I feel at other tour events."

Attention now turns to the BWF World Tour Finals, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, from December 9 to 13. This is the next tournament An Se-young is preparing for during her break, and it is a stage where she could face Yamaguchi again.

The Economic Times also explained that "An Se-young and Yamaguchi can meet again at the World Tour Finals, the season's final tournament held in China."

An Se-young will challenge for her 12th title of the season. For Yamaguchi, the task remains to carry the momentum from this victory while breaking her losing streak against An Se-young.

Ahead of the season's final stage, Yamaguchi prioritized recovering her condition. She said, "I am a bit tired right now, so creating good form seems most important."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original