HANGZHOU – Olympic champion An Se-young of South Korea staged a powerful comeback here on Friday to defeat Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 14-21, 21-5, 21-14 on the final day of group stage at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals, securing first place in Group A.
The year-ending tournament features only the top eight players and pairs from the year-end BWF World Tour rankings in each discipline, divided into two groups with the top two advancing to the semifinals.
An and Yamaguchi had already qualified for the last four prior to the match, so it was a head-to-head for the top place.
After dropping the first game, the season’s dominant force rebounded with a stunning 21-5 second-game demolition before closing out the decider.
“My current physical condition is good. My coach checks on me every day to keep my fitness condition,” said An, who has managed injuries over the past two years.
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In Group B, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon secured her semifinals spot by eliminating China’s Han Yue 21-17, 21-10. She was joined by China’s Wang Zhiyi, who topped the group undefeated.
In the men’s singles, China’s world No 1 Shi Yuqi concluded his group campaign with a 21-9, 21-11 victory over Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, both had previously advanced from Group B. While in Group A, France’s Christo Popov and Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn progressed.
The doubles draws saw dominant performances from home favorites. China’s women’s pair Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning and mixed duo Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping both capped off their group stage with perfect 3-0 records.
In the men’s doubles, the South Korean world champion duo Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae also booked their semifinals spot with an unstoppable group-stage run.
The draw for the semifinals has yet to be conducted. Each group winner will face a runner-up, with no restriction on avoiding rematches from the group stage.
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The knockout stage begins on Saturday, with the finals scheduled for Sunday.
