Ahn Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), the ‘world’s best’ in badminton, reached the finals of the Malaysia Open and came close to her first win of the season.
Ahn Se-young, ranked No. 1 in the women’s singles world rankings, advanced to the finals with the withdrawal of her ‘difficult enemy’ Chen Yufei (China, 4th place) ahead of the semifinals of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 1000 Malaysia Open held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 10th (Korean time).
Ahn Se-young avoided Chen Yu-fei, a tough opponent with a record of 14 wins and 14 losses, and won a ticket to the finals without wasting stamina. Last year, in the semifinals of the World Championships, she was caught by Chen Yufei and her quest for a second consecutive title in the competition was halted.
Seyoung Ahn will meet the winner between Wang Zhiyi (China, 2nd place) and Pusala Sindhu (India, 18th place) in the final. Ahn Se-young has an overwhelming record against Wang Ziyi with a total of 16 wins and 4 losses, and won all eight times last year. Even against Sindhu, he is ahead with 8 wins in all his matches.
If Ahn Se-young wins this tournament, she will achieve her third consecutive victory.
Ahn Se-young set great records last year, including the most wins in a single season (11 wins), the highest winning percentage ever (94.8%), and the highest accumulated prize money ever ($1,003,175). This year, for the first time in BWF history, the team will challenge for the ‘Super 1000 Slam’ by winning four Super 1000 series competitions in one year. The Super 1000 tournament is the highest-level tournament with the highest ranking points and prize money among the BWF World Tour, and includes the Malaysia Open, which was promoted to 2023, as well as the All England Open, Indonesia Open, and China Open. Last year, at the China Open, the last 1000 series tournament, he withdrew from the semifinals against Han Yue (China, 5th place) due to knee pain and unfortunately missed the ‘Super 1000 Slam’.
Ahn Se-young is determined to create new history and solidify her dominance starting with the Malaysia Open.
Reporter Lee Hyeong-seok ops5@edaily.co.kr
