Since her Paris 2024 heartbreak, Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei took a break from the game, went to Australia to be taught English, returned to the tour earlier this 12 months, and received the Asian Championships title. Already a reasonably darn good comeback, Yufei didn’t lose perspective after she received the continental title in Ningbo. She knew An Seyoung wasn’t a part of the event and conceded that she stays the benchmark to beat in world badminton immediately.
On Friday on the Singapore Open, Yufei accomplished that unbelievable problem: she ended An Seyoung’s sensational begin to 2025, bringing a near the 27-match successful streak that the Korean world No 1 and Paris Olympics champion had been on. And that too, in straight-games, successful 21-13, 21-16 in 50 minutes. That it took 10 minutes wanting an hour for that scoreline is a measure of how tough it’s to beat Seyoung even on her unhealthy days however Yufei prevailed to finish Seyoung’s quest for perfection in 2025.
Having gone by way of a whole lot of damage troubles, and off-court drama, Seyoung has been extra cautious in selecting tournaments in 2025 however was smashing by way of the sphere in each occasion that she did play. Within the 27-match win streak, she had solely even dropped three video games within the course of. However that will go as much as 5 in opposition to Yufei on the Singapore Open Tremendous 750 quarterfinals.
Easy internet deception. 👏
Comply with stay motion: https://t.co/TjoFnU4PnB@HSBC_Sport
#BWFWorldTour #SingaporeOpen2025 pic.twitter.com/iScdlXZVek— BWF (@bwfmedia) May 30, 2025
“The prospect of staying unbeaten undoubtedly motivates me. All I can do is to coach extra, work more durable and put together extra. My mindset is at all times to strive my finest to be excellent,” Seyoung had informed Straits Occasions earlier this week. “I’ll ask my coaches and workers how you can relieve the stress… They might inform me easy issues like transfer quicker, or don’t give the result in the opponent. These easy directions assist to clear my thoughts on the court docket.”
However on Friday nothing appeared to work on the ranges we’re used to seeing from the Korean celebrity. At India Open the place she eased to the title, Seyoung had informed reporters how she yearns for perfection on court docket. A trait that makes her present frustration after making an avoidable error even when she is comfortably successful a match. On this occasion although, the errors couldn’t stemmed in any respect, though the common flashes of brilliance had been nonetheless there, like this level.
Ultimately, it was comparatively clean crusing for Yufei, who continues to lift the bar steadily on her comeback path. Her celebrations informed a narrative too, after just a few fist pumps, an embrace with Seyoung, as she posed for cameras, she put her index finger on her lips. If there have been any doubters in any respect concerning the stage she is able to getting again as much as, she is definitely silencing them.
© IE On-line Media Companies Pvt Ltd