World No. 1 An Se-young meets India's P.V. Sindhu in the women's singles final of the French Open in Paris, chasing a 50th consecutive win this season. The Chosun Ilbo reports that Sindhu has lost all 10 of their meetings, yet Indian media are bullish about a reversal.
According to the Chosun Ilbo on the 25th, Sindhu has never beaten An in 10 career meetings. Indian outlets nonetheless framed the final as Sindhu being ready to solve the An puzzle, and the paper's Japanese edition said her camp is preparing a game plan. With the symbolic number 50 attached to the result, the match is drawing heavy attention.
광고 문의 · 300×250The streak and Sindhu's road through Paris
An's run stood at 45 straight wins after her Denmark Open title on the 18th, and it has continued since. By the Chosun figures we cited earlier, her only loss this year came in the All England final in March. Reaching this final means the question of stopping her at 50 now rides on a single match. We could not confirm her scores in the rounds before the semifinal.
Indian news agency IANS reported that Sindhu beat Taiwan's Chiu Pin-Chian 21-13, 21-14 in the quarterfinals in Paris on the 23rd, after beating Japan's Riko Gunji 21-12, 21-16 in the round of 16. Whom she beat in the semifinal and by what score could not be confirmed within the scope of this report.
Sindhu won the Japan Open Super 750 this year and was ranked 10th in the world, per Indian outlet Mykhel, before the event. She lost to Ratchanok Intanon in three games in the Arctic Open quarterfinals. The veteran Olympic medallist remains stuck on the one wall she cannot get over.
What to watch in the final
The biggest variables are An's stamina management and Sindhu's attacking patterns. Sindhu is known for steep smashes and net variation built on her long reach, while An is regarded as superior in defence-to-counter play and long rallies.
The exact start time of the final and An's full record at this event could not be confirmed. A win would give An her 11th title of the season and a 50th straight victory, while a Sindhu win would end the streak, making this a final to watch for fans in both Korea and India.