This victory marks An's third career title at this tournament, following her wins in 2023 and 2024. With this win, she has now claimed four titles this season, adding to her earlier victories at the Malaysia Open, India Open, and the Asian Championships last month.
An's win also improved her head-to-head record against Yamaguchi to 18 wins and 15 losses, extending her current winning streak against her to four matches.
In the semifinals held the previous day, An overcame headaches and dizziness to defeat China's Chen Yufei, ranked fourth. The final match proved challenging as well, but An maintained her focus. After a tied score of 6-6 in the first set, she scored five consecutive points to lead 11-6, eventually taking the set 21-11.
However, the second set saw Yamaguchi mount a strong comeback. At a critical moment tied at 17-17, An allowed Yamaguchi to score four consecutive points, losing the set.
The third set was fiercely contested, with both players exchanging leads. An faced a setback when Yamaguchi scored three consecutive points to lead 16-19. Yet, demonstrating remarkable concentration, An rallied with four straight points to regain the lead at 20-19. She sealed the match by forcing an error from Yamaguchi on the final match point.
With her fourth title of the season secured, An will compete next at the BWF World Tour Super 1000 Indonesia Open, which begins on June 2, aiming for consecutive victories.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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