▲ Ahn Se-young became Wang Ziyi’s perfect nemesis. They expanded their record against their opponents to 17 wins and 4 losses, and extended their head-to-head winning streak from last year to 10 games. In particular, as they faced each other eight times last year and won all eight times, this victory is also expected to be a great driving force. ⓒYonhap News/AFP
[스포티비뉴스=조용운 기자] Chinese women’s badminton star Wang Zhiyi (26, second in the world rankings) smiled brightly as she received her country’s highest achievement award. At the Hubei Province Sports Performance Reporting Meeting held in Wuhan, she received an official honor in recognition of her performance in winning the women’s singles event at last year’s China National Sports Festival. On the Chinese stage, he is clearly treated as an unrivaled ace.
However, behind the bright smile, the reality of Ahn Se-young (world no. 1, Samsung Life Insurance), the second in command, is completely reflected, blocked by a huge wall. Wang Ziyi once again proved the ruthlessness of the world stage in that she is placed in a structure where she can only become the main character when Ahn Se-young is absent or performing poorly.
In terms of skill alone, Wang Ziyi is at the top level. He is evaluated as a complete player with quick footwork, powerful offense, and stable defense. However, in a face-to-face match with Ahn Se-young, all advantages are overshadowed. They have not won a single game in 10 official competition matches since last year, and suffered the humiliation of losing 10 times in a row.
The trend did not change in the new season either. She met Ahn Se-young in the finals of the Malaysia Open and India Open in succession, and finished runner-up both times. In particular, at the Malaysia Open, she was on the verge of victory with a 17-9 lead in the second game, but when Ahn Se-young turned up the gear, she lost the momentum and collapsed.
▲ Wang Zhiyi received the Achievement Award at the Hubei Province Sports Performance Reporting Meeting held in Wuhan on the 6th in recognition of her performance in winning the badminton women’s singles title at the 15th China National Sports Festival held in November last year.
Chinese media ‘Sohu’ analyzed that the gap is clear not only in technical completeness but also in the mentality of the game, saying, “Ahn Se-young’s probability of scoring after 19 points is 73%, while Wang Ziyi’s is only 51%.” The assessment is that Ahn Se-young dominates the game at every decisive moment, while Wang Ziyi falters.
Wang Ziyi always had to stand on the second podium in every competition that Ahn Se-young participated in. The scene of receiving a medal with a stern expression or wiping away tears was repeated. Paradoxically, this means that Wang Zhiyi is the second strongest player in the world. If Ahn Se-young had not existed, there is a good chance that all of the last 10 competitions would have been recorded as wins by Wang Ziyi.
However, as Ahn Se-young’s solo system becomes more solid, the possibility that Wang Ziyi’s glory will remain on the Chinese stage also increases. Even China’s other star, Chen Yufei (3rd place), recently lost to Wang Ziyi for the second time in a row, and the trend of generational change has already tilted towards Wang Ziyi. The center of Chinese women’s badminton has clearly moved to Wang Ziyi, but the world’s best still belongs to Ahn Se-young.
What’s interesting is that Ahn Se-young never takes Wang Ziyi lightly despite his overwhelming record. After the India Open, Ahn Se-young expressed respect for him as a competitor, saying, “It’s not easy every time I face him because he’s a player who always thinks and prepares a lot.”
▲ At this rate, we come to the conclusion that Wang Ziyi cannot beat Ahn Seyoung. China’s ‘Sohu’ also gave the same definition. They emphasized the clear difference, saying, “Even objective data shows the significant difference in skill between Ahn Se-young and Wang Ziyi. In terms of scoring probability after 19 points, which can be considered the deciding factor, Ahn Se-young recorded an overwhelming figure of 73%, while Wang Ziyi only recorded 51%.” ⓒYonhap News/AP
While Wang Ziyi is being treated as a hero at events in China, Ahn Se-young is on a winning streak again on the international stage. At the Asian Men’s and Women’s Team Badminton Championships currently being held in Qingdao, she led the Korean women’s national team to three consecutive wins in the group stage and is on track to win the tournament for the first time.
China excluded many of its key players, including Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei, from this tournament as if to avoid a head-on collision with Korea led by Ahn Se-young. The existence of the world’s strongest player, Ahn Se-young, is acting as a variable that even China is trying to strategically avoid.
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