(Xports News Reporter Kim Hwan) China believes that Chen Yufei is the person who can defeat An Se-young’s power.
When even the world’s second-ranked Wang Zhiyi lost to Ahn Se-young in the final of the 2025 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals, Chen Yu-fei, who had a good record against Ahn Se-young, was pointed out as the player who could stop Ahn Se-young’s dominance.
Chinese media ‘NetEase’ said on the 23rd (Korean time), “Ahn Se-young’s win rate of 94.8% this season is a figure that exceeds the historical record of 92.75%,” and “73 wins and 4 losses in 77 games, which means that the probability of any opponent defeating her in a year is very low. For her, winning is routine. The real news is whether she can beat Ahn Se-young.” Now, it is better to choose the player who beats Ahn Se-young rather than Ahn Se-young. He said it would be a hot topic.
‘NetEase’ mentioned that even Wang Zhiyi, China’s leading badminton star, was blocked by the wall called Ahn Se-young in the final of the World Tour Finals and knelt down. He said, “Ahn Se-young’s consistent performance leaves little room to look for opportunities,” and said that Ahn Se-young is consistently showing good performance, so there is no gap to break through.
However, ‘NetEase’ said, “So does that mean that China has no chance of winning at all? Of course not,” and added, “The brightest light in the darkness is the name of Chen Yufei.” Although Chinese badminton is in a gloomy situation, Chen Yufei, who represents Chinese badminton along with Wang Zhiyi and is ranked 5th in the world in women’s singles, is a player who can compete with Ahn Se-young.
Looking back at the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open last May, where Chen Yu-fei won against Ahn Se-young, the media said, “Ahn Se-young was on a phenomenal upward trend with 27 consecutive wins and a 100% season win rate, but Chen Yu-fei finished the match with a clean 2-0 win. What is even more surprising is that Chen Yu-fei performed well at the World Championships despite an ankle injury.”
He said, “The value of these matches goes far beyond simple wins. After the match, Chen Yufei received praise for becoming a player who can play an active role in the Chinese women’s singles, because she shattered Ahn Se-young’s myth of invincibility and proved that she can break through her defense.”
‘NetEase’ explained the background to Chen Yufei’s ability to consistently maintain the top of the world rankings, saying that his willingness to learn more from his opponents helped Chen Yufei’s development.
He went on to praise Chen Yufei as a player who can take down Ahn Seyoung, saying, “Although the era of Ahn Seyoung has arrived, Chen Yufei has already proven her potential, and the next proof will require the wisdom and effort of all Chinese badminton players.”
Chen Yufei was unable to participate in the World Tour Finals after being pushed out by Wang Ziyi and Han Yue due to the rule that only two people from one country can participate.
Photo = Yonhap News / Incheon Airport, Reporter Park Ji-young
Reporter Kim Hwan hwankim14@xportsnews.com
