India Open: World No.1 An Se-young dominates to claim women’s title; Lin Chun Yi wins men’s crown

NEW DELHI: An Se-young walked into the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium as world No. 1. She walked out, having once again underlined why the gap between her and the rest of the women’s singles field is growing by the week.A final that promised a battle between the top two players in the world turned into a masterclass in control, precision and authority. Against China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi, the South Korean was not just better, she was operating on a different plane altogether. This was not a one-off performance. It was a continuation of a trend.Over the last year or so, An has begun to dominate women’s singles in a manner rarely seen in modern badminton. Opponents no longer look for ways to beat her; they look for ways to survive her. In Delhi, she didn’t merely win the India Open Super 750. She owned it.The men’s singles title was won by Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun Yi, who defeated Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-10, 21-18. Lin, who arrived in India carrying a muscle strain from the Malaysia Open, produced a fearless attacking display, using his lefthanded angles and pace to keep Jonatan under pressure throughout.China’s top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning won the women’s doubles title, Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran clinched the mixed doubles crown, while China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang emerged champions in men’s doubles.The stands on Sunday were dotted with school children, many of them chanting loudly for the Korean star. “An Se-young! An Se-young!” rang out across the hall, along with excited cries of “Korea, Korea!” and “Kya khel rahi hai!” as rallies repeatedly ended on her terms.The defending champion needed just 43 minutes to dismantle Wang 21-13, 21-11 and claim her second title of the season, following last week’s Malaysia Open Super 1000 crown — also at Wang’s expense.From the opening exchanges, An looked in complete command. She glided across the court, taking the shuttle early, stretching Wang into uncomfortable corners and constantly pushing her onto the back foot. She surged to a 7-1 lead in the opening game and soon made it 15-9. Wang briefly closed the gap to 13-15, but An simply shifted gears, rattling off six straight points to seal the game with ruthless efficiency.The second game followed a similar pattern. An built a steady 11-7 advantage, never appearing rushed or unsettled. An’s calm authority ensured there was no late twist, as she wrapped up the contest with ease. “I’m really glad I won. The last two weeks have been very tiring, but I’m a winner and I’m very happy,” An said, while acknowledging the sizeable crowd. She attributed her sustained success to an attacking mindset. “Every player tries their best to beat me, and I also try my best not to lose. I focus on attacking and giving my best.”