BANGKOK • Teenage prodigy An Se-young pushed to victory in a tough clash against Spain’s Carolina Marin yesterday at the World Tour Finals, recording her first win over the reigning Olympic champion in Bangkok.
The world’s top players have been competing in the Thai capital for three consecutive tournaments in a bio-secure bubble amid the pandemic, culminating in this US$1.5 million (S$2 million) event.
The tournament, which is missing China and Japan over Covid-19 fears, features the top eight players or pairs in all singles and doubles disciplines and ends tomorrow.
An had lost to three-time world champion Marin during their previous two meetings here this month, but yesterday secured a statement 21-16, 14-21, 21-19 victory on the last day of the round-robin stage.
“I’m really happy as I have shed a lot of tears here,” said the emotional 18-year-old, who was voted Most Promising Player in 2019 and had already qualified for the semi-finals following wins over Canadian Michelle Li and Russian Evgeniya Kosetskaya earlier this week.
She credited her win to being able to anticipate her more experienced opponent’s counters after losing to sixth-ranked Marin at both Thailand Opens.
“There are many things I have learnt from Marin and I adapted to those things as I was playing the match,” the world No. 9, who plays top-ranked Tai Tzu-ying in the semi-finals, said.
Despite the upset, Marin – who is gunning for a hat-trick of titles after winning the past two tournaments – also advanced to the last four. “My performance was okay,” she said, admitting that her mind was already on the next stage, where she meets Thai Pornpawee Chochuwong.
“I played like training. I lost but I don’t care about the result.”
In the men’s singles, Dane Viktor Axelsen, who like Marin is seeking a hat-trick of titles, brushed aside Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen 21-10, 21-14 to book his semi-final berth against the same player.
It was the world No. 4’s third group-stage win.
Hong Kong’s Angus Ng beat Indian Srikanth Kidambi 12-21, 21-18, 21-19 but the victory proved to a mere consolation as his previous losses meant he was eliminated.
Still, the world No. 8, who was beaten by Axelsen in the final of the Toyota Thailand Open last Sunday, gave it his all.
“It’s always exciting in the World Tour Finals to win a match,” he said. “Although I won’t make it to the semi-finals, I still kept pushing myself.”
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
BWF WORLD TOUR FINALS
S-finals: StarHub Ch201, 11am & 6pm