AN Se Young shines on opening day
For anyone questioning the fitness of world n°1 AN Se Young, who withdrew from the China Open semi-final in July, she wasted no time in reassuring everyone about her condition. Facing Clara LASSAUX, making her debut at the BWF World Championships, the title holder made her intentions crystal clear : she’s here to keep her crown, and she showed it against an opponent with few answers.
From the very first rallies, AN Se Young displayed her trademark determination, giving no quarter to the Belgian, who, in contrast, gifted too many cheap points. Struggling to settle, LASSAUX made five unforced errors in quick succession and was still looking for her first point at the mid-game interval (11-0). That first point finally came straight after the restart (12-1), but it did little to unsettle the reigning champion. Sharper in the rallies, AN Se Young pulled away with ease (16-3). Having been crowned Olympic champion here at the adidas arena last summer at Paris 2024, the world n°1 dominated the opener and already had one foot in the last 32 after less than 15 minutes (21-5).
The second game began in much the same way. Mixing length with crisp net play, the Korean quickly built an early cushion (6/2). LASSAUX tried her best to respond but never truly troubled the Olympic champion (9/4). Well ahead at the interval (11-4), AN Se Young shifted up another gear as the Belgian’s mistakes piled up (14/6). Never in danger, the reigning world champion made the perfect start to her title defence and will next face the winner of the duel between Yvonne LI (n°55, Germany) and Ines Lucia CASTILLO SALAZAR (n°97,Pérou), scheduled later on Monday.
After her win, AN Se Young reflected on her strong start to the tournament while acknowledging her Belgian opponent, who made the contest tougher than the scoreline suggests: “I’m in good physical shape, and it’s getting better day by day, training by training. It wasn’t as easy a match as it might have looked, so I’m really happy to come away with the win. For me, Paris is the city of luck, and France is the country of luck! It’s true that I’ve won some of my biggest titles here, so it’s always a pleasure to come and play in this country.”