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An Se-young's Record Season: 11th Title Amid Injury Drama in Hangzhou

An Se-young of South Korea has matched a legendary record by winning her 11th title of the season at the BWF World Tour Finals. She overcame defending champion Wang Zhiyi in a hard-fought final that saw her battle through a leg injury. The men's final provided a massive shock as France's Christo Popov dominated world champion Shi Yuqi to claim his first major title. The event also saw China continue its mixed doubles reign and South Korea secure both the women's and men's doubles championships.

Key Points: An Se-young Ties Momota Record, Popov Upsets Shi at BWF Finals

  • An Se-young defeats Wang Zhiyi in a three-game thriller to claim her 11th title this season
  • France's Christo Popov delivers a major upset by beating world champion Shi Yuqi in straight games
  • Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping win mixed doubles, continuing China's four-year dominance in the event
  • South Korea sweeps the doubles titles, with Baek Ha-na/Lee So-hee and Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae defending their crowns
2 min read

BWF World Tour Finals: An claims record-tying 11th title, Popov upsets Shi in men's final

An Se-young wins 11th title to tie season record, while Christo Popov stuns world champion Shi Yuqi. Recap of all finals at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou.

"I'm truly happy and proud of myself to have won these titles. - An Se-young"

Hangzhou, Dec 21

South Korea's An Se-young beat defending champion Wang Zhiyi of China to capture her 11th title of the season at the BWF World Tour Finals. The 21-13, 18-21, 21-10 victory draws her level with Japanese men's singles legend Kento Momota for the most titles in a season.

"I'm truly happy and proud of myself to have won these titles," said An, who suffered a leg injury near the match's conclusion to seal the 96-minute thriller.

Wang also acknowledged her energy faded in the decider, leading to errors. "But there are many positives to take from pushing An this hard," she said.

The men's singles final delivered a stunning upset, as France's Christo Popov, the tournament's surprise package, defeated newly crowned world champion Shi Yuqi of China 21-19, 21-9, reports Xinhua.

The 23-year-old capped a flawless run at the season-ending tournament, having topped his group before defeating Japan's Kodai Naraoka in the semifinals. His victory against Shi marks the first time a French player has won the title since the tournament's inception in 2018.

Also on Sunday, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping won an all-Chinese final against Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin to secure the mixed doubles title.

A more experienced duo, Feng and Huang, dominated the final, taking the first game 21-12 and closing out the match 21-17 in the second.

"During the match, we kept communicating. And once we had an idea, we were both fully committed to making it work," said Feng.

It marks the fourth consecutive year that China has won the mixed doubles event at the season-ending tournament, following the three-peat achieved by Olympic champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong.

In the women's doubles final, South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee defeated Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto 21-17, 21-11 to win the title two times in a row.

The men's doubles saw South Korea's defending champions Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae beat home favourites Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 21-18, 21-14.

The season-ending tournament, held in Hangzhou since 2023, features the top eight players in the year's World Tour standings, with a maximum of two entries per member association. The reigning Olympic and world champions also earn automatic qualification.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
What an upset by Popov! Shows that on the right day, anyone can win. Shi Yuqi looked unstoppable this year. This is why we love sports. Hoping for more such surprises next season where maybe an Indian can be the dark horse! 🤞
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Sarah B
The level of badminton at this tournament was incredible. As a fan, it's bittersweet to see such dominance from a few nations. I wish the BWF would do more to promote the sport in other countries to make it truly global and competitive.
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Vikram M
China's stranglehold on mixed doubles continues. Four years in a row! Their system is just too strong. Satwiksairaj and Chirag gave them a tough fight this year, but we need that final push to break this dominance. Come on, Team India! 💪
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Rohit P
Korea cleaned up in doubles! Their pairs are so well-drilled. Our men's doubles team is world-class, but we need to develop depth in women's and mixed doubles too. The gap is still big. PCB and Gopichand academy need to focus here.
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Michael C
Great tournament overall. But honestly, the schedule is too punishing for players. An got injured again at the end. The BWF needs to look at the calendar. Quality over quantity. Players' health should come first.

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