Paris (AFP) – Badminton world No. 1 Ahn Se-young has been given an Olympic warning after winning the French Open title at the Paris Arena, where the competition will be held this summer.
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The South Korean player defeated Japanese rival Akane Yamaguchi 18-21, 21-13, 21-10 in the French capital on Sunday for her 21st BWF World Tour victory and second of the year. .
“This is an important pre-Olympic event and I felt a lot of pressure at first,” said 22-year-old Anne, who is favorite to win her first gold medal at the Olympics in four months' time.
“Winning on the Olympic stage means a lot and I feel very happy.
“I think I’ll be feeling positive when I get back here for the Olympics.”
The competition at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena was also treated as a test event for Paris Olympic organizers.
Anne's breakthrough in 2023 saw her rise to the top of women's badminton, but she has been struggling with a knee injury in recent weeks.
Former world No. 1 Yamaguchi has also refrained from participating due to a recent injury, and was playing his first World Tour final since September.
The 26-year-old said she was exhausted during the 64-minute title deciding match.
“My pace slowed down on the third run,” said the Japanese athlete, who is ranked fourth in the world.
“I'm in much better shape now (than two months ago) and was able to advance to the finals, but I feel like I still have a long way to go.”
World No. 2 Xi Yuqi of China defeated Thailand's Kunravut Vitidsan 22-20, 21-19 to win the French Open men's title.
The British Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments in badminton, begins on Tuesday.
© 2024 AFP
