Ahn Se-young (21, Samsung Life Insurance), the representative of Korean badminton women’s singles, has reached the top of the international competition for two weeks in a row. She overpowered strong opponents for two weeks in a row, from Japan’s archrival to Olympic gold medalist.
Ahn Se-young defeated Carolina Marine (Spain) in the women’s singles final at the 2023 Indonesia Masters Badminton Championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia on the 29th (Korean time). The set score was 2 to 1 (18-21 21-18 21-13) and won the championship cup with a come-from-behind victory.
It is her second consecutive win until the 2023 Indian Open Badminton Championships last week. Ahn Se-young defeated her nemesis and world number one Akane Yamaguchi (26, Japan) in the finals to reach the top for the first time this year. She avenged her last 14 defeats in the women’s singles final at the Malaysian Open.
Marin is past her prime, ranking ninth in the women’s singles world at age 30. However, she reigned as the strongest in her singles, winning the women’s singles gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and her world ranking No. 1.
She is especially known for screaming during her matches, like tennis’ Maria Sharapova (retired). Seong Ji-hyeon, coach of the national team, who was the ace of Korean women’s singles, also lost to Goeseong Marin in the quarterfinals at the Rio Olympics. She recently returned from her injury and gradually improved her performance, boasting her track record of reaching the finals of the event.
However, Marine was pushed by the rising trend of Ahn Se-young, who was ranked second in the world. Ahn Se-young was pushed back by Marine’s skill in the first set, but returned the game to the starting point after a close match, scoring three consecutive goals in the second set, 13-13.
Ahn Se-young, who gained momentum, took the victory by scoring four consecutive points in the third set, 10-10, with physical strength and spirit. After confirming her victory, Ahn Se-young roared and overpowered the momentum of her original screaming woman.
Ahn Se-young, who won two championships and one runner-up in three weeks, will return to Korea on the 31st. On February 8, she will attend the sponsorship agreement ceremony with Yonex, the official sponsor of the national team. 메이저놀이터