Hangzhou: South Korean badminton athlete An Se-young claimed her record-tying 11th international title of the season on Sunday in China. An, who is currently ranked world No. 1 and is the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, secured victory against China's Wang Zhiyi with a score of 2-1 (21-13, 18-21, 21-10) in the women's singles final at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals, held at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this triumph puts An on par with former men's singles player Kento Momota for the most international titles won in a single season. An has reached the finals in 12 of the 15 BWF World Tour events she participated in this season, with her only final loss occurring against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi during the Korea Open in September.
The World Tour Finals serve as the annual season-ending event and are exclusively open to the top eight individual players and doubles pairs from the World Tour season. In the women's singles category, the eight competitors were divided into two groups, with the top two players from each group advancing to the semifinals following round-robin matches.
An remained unbeaten during the preliminary round and avenged her previous loss by defeating Yamaguchi in the semifinals. In the final against Wang, An overcame an initial 8-4 deficit to take a 12-8 lead, eventually winning the first game 21-13 through strategic shotmaking and defense.
Wang made a strong start in the second game, leading 4-1 and extending it to 8-4. Although An managed to narrow the gap, Wang maintained her lead to win the second game 21-18, leveling the match at one game each.
In the decisive third game, An established an early 8-5 lead amidst a competitive start. Despite visible fatigue from both players, An built a substantial 15-6 advantage, closing the game with a commanding performance. Towards the end, An appeared to struggle with knee discomfort, yet she managed to complete the match on match point, achieving the record-tying victory.
An's win against Wang improved her record to 16-4, including an unbeaten 8-0 streak this year. Her last defeat to Wang was in the semifinals of the 2024 World Tour Finals.