An Se Young Equals Calendar-Year Title Record With BWF World Tour Finals Triumph

South Korea’s An Se-young bagged her record-tying 11th title of the year by winning the badminton World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on Sunday, December 21.

The 2024 Olympic champion beat China’s world number two Wang Zhiyi 21-13, 18-21, 21-10, matching the record set by Japan’s Kento Momota in 2019 for the most titles in a calendar year.

An, ranked world number one, finished the exhausting 96-minute match while limping because of an apparent left-knee problem, yet managed to prevail over defending champion Wang.

“Winning my 11th title, I feel really happy and proud of this achievement,” the 23-year-old said after her win. “I’ll enjoy this win today.”

According to the Badminton World Federation, An also became the first badminton player to earn over

$1 million in prize money in a year, after collecting the $240,000 winner’s cheque, adding to the $763,000 she had already earned this season.

Christo Popov became the third European and the first Frenchman to win the season-ending event by beating China’s world champion Shi Yuqi 21-19, 21-9.

Shi struggled with a foot injury and capitulated after a close first game.

Popov, who had not won a tour title all year and was an underdog, beat Olympic silver-medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn and world number three Anders Antonsen on his way to the title triumph.

“It was an amazing week,” Popov said. “Very happy to win the first title for France, and I’m hoping for many more to come.”

South Korea enjoyed further success in doubles, with women’s pair Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee beating Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Yuki Fukushima 21-17, 21-11.

World champions Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae overcame China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 21-18, 21-14 in the men’s doubles.

The home crowd had something to cheer earlier in the day when mixed doubles pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping triumphed over compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 21-12, 21-17.

(With AFP Inputs)