An Se-young reclaims world championship throne after 3 years, achieving 'perfect victory' from preliminaries to final

South Korean badminton star An Se-young has once again ascended to the pinnacle of women's singles, reclaiming the World Badminton Federation (BWF) World Championship title after a three-year hiatus. Her dominant performance in New Delhi culminated in a flawless victory, as she navigated the entire tournament, from the round of 64 to the final, without conceding a single game.

In the championship match, the world No. 1 An faced off against world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. An secured a decisive 2-0 victory (21-17, 21-14), extending her career head-to-head record against Yamaguchi to 20 wins and 15 losses. This latest win also marks her sixth consecutive victory against Yamaguchi, underscoring the significant gap between the two top-ranked players.

An's journey to this championship was marked by resilience and strategic recovery. After suffering a left foot injury at the Japan Open last month, which led to her withdrawal from the subsequent China Open, she focused on rehabilitation. This decision proved fruitful, allowing her to regain match fitness and confidence. The team's head coach, Park Joo-bong, had emphasized the importance of quickly regaining match rhythm in the early rounds, a challenge An met head-on by defeating opponents like Kaloyana Nalbantova, Talita Ramadani Wiyawana, and Mia Blichfeldt in straight games.

Her path to the final also included overcoming formidable Chinese opponents. An defeated Han Yue (world No. 5) in the quarterfinals and Wang Zhiyi (world No. 3) in the semifinals, both in straight games. Her dominance against Wang Zhiyi is particularly notable, with a 13-1 record in their last 14 encounters, reinforcing her status as a 'nemesis.' The victory also saw the women's doubles pair of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na secure their own world championship title, their first in 31 years for a South Korean women's doubles team, defeating China's top-ranked duo.