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Stephy Zhang

China’s Wang Zhiyi said her resilience had been key to beating world No 1 An Se-young to secure her first All England Open Badminton Championships title, ending a 10-match losing streak against her South Korean rival.
Wang won 21-15, 21-19 on Sunday to claim her 12th BWF World Tour singles title. The victory marks the first time in seven years a Chinese player has won the women’s singles crown in Birmingham.
“I am super excited. I feel like a dream comes true,” Wang said. “Honestly, I still cannot believe I can win this match. So I am really really happy.”
The result ends An’s 36-match winning streak and improves Wang’s head-to-head record against the top seed to five wins and 18 losses.
“It means a lot to me, I think that it gives me more confidence and motivation to continue my work, so I will keep going,” Wang said.

Wang said the final had been a “difficult match” that required absolute focus during long rallies. She noted that she “had to” maintain her movement and tactical discipline throughout.
Reflecting on how she overcame 10 consecutive defeats to An, Wang highlighted her mental approach.
“In previous matches, I might not have persisted for so many shots, but today I did, which led to her errors,” she said.
After An took a slim early lead in the first game, world No 2 Wang levelled the score and won five consecutive points to build a cushion. When An closed the gap to within a single point, Wang surged again to take the game 21-15.
Defending Olympic champion An fought back hard in the second game with an early lead, but Wang showed resilience and reached match point at 20-16. An saved three match points to close in at 20-19, but Wang withstood the pressure to secure victory at 21-19.
Regarding An’s late comeback attempt, Wang said she consciously ignored past experiences of losing leads.
“Standing on the court today, I didn’t think about past results or experiences. I only wanted to focus on the next point,” she said.
An, meanwhile, said it had not been her day, adding she had “tried to do my best, but it was not good enough. I gave it my all, but today was not my day”.
“I always treat her with respect because she is so strong and prepared, and she is always different. It is always a difficult match when I play her,” An added.
In the women’s doubles final, China’s Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning also secured a title, beating South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee 21-18, 21-12.


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China’s Wang says resilience key to stunning win over world No 1 An in All England final

Wang Zhiyi poses with her medal and trophy after winning the women’s singles at the All England Open Badminton Championships. Photo: Xinhua

South Korea’s An Se-young said it had not been her day. Photo: AP

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Lee Man spent big in the off-season, including on striker Noah Baffoe (right), but are likely to end it empty-handed. Photo: Edmond So

Chu Siu-kei (second left), seen here alongside (from left) defender Timothy Chow and Southern boss Calvin Pui and forward Sohgo Ichikawa has ultimately paid the price for missing out on Champions League football. Photo: HKFA

Sport

China

Wang Zhiyi beat An Se-young to end 10-match losing streak against South Korean rival in Birmingham


Wang Zhiyi beat An Se-young to end 10-match losing streak against South Korean rival in Birmingham.


Wang Zhiyi

An Se-young

China’s Wang says resilience key to stunning win over world No 1 An in All England final

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wang Zhiyi beat An Se-young to end 10-match losing streak against South Korean rival in Birmingham

Wang Zhiyi beat An Se-young to end 10-match losing streak against South Korean rival in Birmingham