World No. 1 An Se-young, who played the French Open final with her right knee and calf taped, has been confirmed for the Korea Open through the Badminton Korea Association. She stands at 66 wins and 1 loss in 67 matches this season, and a title in Yeosu would give her an 11th this year.
The Chosun Ilbo reported on the 4th that An decided to play her home tournament despite concerns over her condition. The Korea Open, a BWF World Tour Super 500 event, runs from the 3rd to the 8th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. According to SPOTV News, about 350 players from 24 countries compete in five events, and An’s entry was announced on the association’s official social media account.
광고 문의 · 300×250An beat India’s P.V. Sindhu 2-1 (16-21, 21-11, 21-12) in the French Open final on the 25th of last month for a third straight title there. She lost the first game and came back; it was her fourth French Open crown and her 10th international title this year. The Fact reported that she has not lost since the All England final in March, where she fell to China’s Wang Zhiyi, and that her season record stands at 66-1, a win rate of about 98.5%.
The worry came from her previous two events. The Fact said she also dropped the first game before beating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the Denmark Open final on the 18th, while SPOTV News reported that she rolled her right ankle during that event and then felt pain around the Achilles tendon. In the French Open final she played with tape on her right knee and calf. The exact severity of the injury and the recovery time do not appear in the reports we reviewed and remain unconfirmed.
From ‘Rest First’ to Entering
Right after the French Open, An said she would rest before deciding whether to play. SPOTV News reported that after returning home she said, “I have only kept running without a break, and I think I now need some time to regroup,” hinting she would not push herself if her body was not right. A reason cited for entering anyway is that this is virtually the only international event where she can play in front of home fans. Tickets for the semifinals and final are reported to be sold out.
The same outlet said An withdrew from the Super 500 event in Kumamoto, Japan, starting November 10, and did not register for the Hong Kong Open that begins on the 17th. The moves are read as scheduling around the World Tour Finals opening December 9 in Hangzhou, China, but no official reason has been given. A Fact column called those Finals the season’s real final goal.
The Draw and the Weight of the Record
According to SPOTV News, An’s first opponent is Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova. The toughest rival is seen as world No. 2 Yamaguchi, last year’s champion here, though she has lost to An ten straight times recently. China’s Wang Zhiyi, Chen Yufei and Han Yue have withdrawn from the event. An’s exact match schedule does not appear in the reports we reviewed and is unconfirmed.
There is also a record at stake. A title would be her 11th this season, matching the single-season high of 11 she set last year, and would lift her career women’s singles international titles from 48 to 49. SPOTV News also noted that under BWF rules top players must enter at least two Super 500 events a season, with fines waivable if an injury is documented medically. Whether any penalty applies has not been decided.
