An Se Younger returned to the summit of girls’s badminton with an announcement victory, defeating defending champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 to assert her second BWF World Championships title in New Delhi on Sunday. The world No. 1 produced a composed show in a last performed at relentless velocity, absorbing Yamaguchi’s attacking bursts earlier than taking management at essential moments. The Japanese star, ranked No. 2, repeatedly threatened to show the competition round, however An’s consistency and skill to complete factors beneath stress proved decisive.
The opening sport remained finely balanced, with neither participant capable of set up a major benefit. Yamaguchi moved 16-15 forward after An had led 15-12, however the Olympic champion responded instantly. 4 consecutive factors, combining exact winners with errors from Yamaguchi, handed An the primary sport.
Yamaguchi once more began strongly within the second, shifting 4-2 forward, however An rapidly shifted the momentum. She moved in entrance at 7-6 after which created a four-point cushion at 11-7. Yamaguchi briefly diminished the deficit, however An refused to permit one other comeback.
A 16-11 lead put An firmly in command. At 17-13, she produced one of many factors of the match, profitable an extended change earlier than ending with a fragile drop that despatched Yamaguchi sprawling. Three extra factors adopted, sealing the championship in straight video games.
The triumph completes a exceptional return to the highest for An, who received her maiden world title in Copenhagen in 2023 earlier than changing into Olympic champion in Paris the next 12 months. She took bronze ultimately 12 months’s World Championships in Paris.
An additionally prolonged her profitable streak in opposition to Yamaguchi to 6 matches, enhancing her general document in opposition to the Japanese to 20-15.
She accomplished her six-match marketing campaign in New Delhi with out dropping a sport, reclaiming the crown she had misplaced final 12 months.
Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, had been looking for an unprecedented fourth girls’s singles title however was denied by An’s managed end.
The victory additionally retains An as the one South Korean singles participant, male or feminine, to have received a world title.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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