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🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

An Se-young wins Singapore Open for fourth title of the season

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • South Korean badminton star An Se-young won the Singapore Open, marking her fourth individual title of the season.
  • She defeated world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi in a closely contested final, despite battling illness during the tournament.
  • This victory adds to her impressive record this year, including wins at the Malaysia Open and the India Open.

South Korean badminton sensation An Se-young has once again proven her dominance on the court, clinching the Singapore Open title for her fourth individual victory of the season. The world No. 1 showcased her resilience and skill, overcoming a challenging opponent and her own physical struggles to secure the prestigious win.

The candidate Chu is the right person to revitalize Daegu's economy. We worked well together when he served as Minister for Government Policy Coordination, and he did a great job then.

— Park Geun-hyeFormer President Park Geun-hye endorsed Daegu mayoral candidate Chu Kyung-ho.

In a thrilling final on May 31st, An Se-young faced off against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi, ranked third in the world. Despite experiencing headaches and fever throughout the tournament, An battled through the match, ultimately defeating Yamaguchi 2-1 (21-11, 17-21, 21-19). This marked her third career victory at the Singapore Open, further solidifying her status as a top player.

The match was a tense affair, with An initially taking control in the first game with strong defensive play. However, Yamaguchi fought back in the second game, forcing a tie and extending the match to a decisive third game. An showed visible signs of discomfort during the match, often grimacing, but managed to maintain her focus.

Just as Seoul developed when I was mayor, even with an opposition mayor, the future of Busan will be determined by who the mayor is.

— Lee Myung-bakFormer President Lee Myung-bak spoke at a rally for Busan mayoral candidate Park Hyung-joon.

In the crucial final game, An Se-young demonstrated exceptional concentration, rallying from behind in the closing stages. She secured four consecutive points to take a 20-19 lead and ultimately sealed the victory when Yamaguchi made an unforced error. An celebrated her win with a triumphant roar and by sending the shuttlecock into the crowd.

It might be effective in mobilizing traditional conservative supporters in the Yeongnam region, but it's uncertain whether it can attract centrist voters who decide election outcomes.

— Unnamed People Power Party LawmakerA People Power Party lawmaker expressed concerns about the broader appeal of the former presidents' involvement.

This victory extends An Se-young's impressive winning streak against Yamaguchi, improving their head-to-head record to 18 wins and 15 losses. She has now won four individual titles this season, including the Malaysia Open and the India Open, and five titles overall when including the World Women's Team Championship.

Yoon, Lee, and Park are out and about now.

— Jeong Cheong-raeDemocratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae criticized the involvement of former presidents Lee and Park, linking them with President Yoon.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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