World No. 1 Ahn Se-young (22, Samsung Life Insurance) is recognized for being in the center of women’s badminton beyond the simple powerhouse level.
Ahn won the women’s singles match of the Badminton World Federation Super 750 Series France Open on March 11 (Korea time). She came from behind to beat No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi (18–21, 21–13, 21–10).
The Taiwanese daily “Tzuyu’s Bao” reported, “The world’s queen of badminton, An Se-young, defeated Japanese star Akane Yamaguchi.” She praised An Se-young as the “queen” by calling Akane Yamaguchi, the winner of the women’s singles at the 26th and 27th World Championship in 2021 and 2022.
“Tzuyu’s Bao” is one of Taiwan’s top four newspapers. “An is the best female player in 2023 who showed extraordinary performance. When she starts to find her rhythm, she shows off her deterrent and counterattack by putting pressure on the opponent. She never gives a chance to chase and gains the upper hand until the end,” she said.
Taiwan is a badminton powerhouse, ranking sixth overall in the Summer Olympics. Even if the women’s singles matches are narrowed down, there is a world-renowned star such as Dai Tzu-ying (30), who ranks first in the final in the 2016-2018 and 2021-2022 seasons.
However, “Tzuyu’s Bao” honestly admitted the reality that Ahn Se-young is closest to winning, saying, “It is significant that the 33rd French Olympic gold medal candidate in 2024 enjoyed the joy of winning the French Open, which was also held as a test event for the competition.”
Dai Tzu-ying won the gold medal at the 18th Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in Indonesia in 2018 and the 36, 37, 40th Asian Badminton Federation Championships in 2017, 2018, and 2023, but has no connection to winning the major world tournament.
Following the silver medal at the 32nd Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the runner-up at the 26th World Championships in Japan, he only won a bronze medal at the 27th World Championships in 2022. He may have been tired from repeated regrets, but he has been playing this season since announcing his retirement.
Badminton at the Paris Olympics will be held from July 28 to Aug. 6. This is the last competition where third-ranked Dai Tzu-ying will challenge herself to become a world champion in women’s singles. Although she knows this situation better than anyone else, Ahn cannot be ignored.
With three wins and 12 losses, Dai is one-sidedly inferior to Ahn. She is the lowest among the world classes that she has played against Ahn in more than 15 matches. She also lost in the semifinals of the 2024 French Open with a set score of 1-2 (12-21, 21-17, 20-22).
On the contrary, Akane Yamaguchi is the only world champion who Ahn has faced off more than 20 times. However, he narrowed the gap to 10 wins and 12 losses. He would have gained more confidence from the results of the French Open.
“I felt pressured because the French Open was held at the Paris Olympic Stadium, but that’s why I’m more happy to win.” Ahn Se-young said, “I’m able to participate in the Olympics with a positive mind,” and introduced her feelings to Taiwanese readers with the determination of a strong candidate.
BY: 토토사이트
