Akane Yamaguchi Defeats An Se Young on Home Soil to Claim First World Tour Title of the Year

Reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi stunned world No.1 An Se Young in front of a home crowd, handing the Korean her first final loss of the season and clinching her own first HSBC BWF World Tour title of 2025.

After falling short in seven previous World Tour semifinals this year, Yamaguchi finally broke through—bolstered by her recent triumph at the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships. In a commanding performance, the three-time world champion outplayed the Olympic gold medallist 21-18, 21-13, marking her first victory over An in five encounters this year.

“I hadn’t reached a final on the World Tour this year, so I was just happy to compete in one again—especially against the current world No.1,” Yamaguchi said after the match.

Just last week in China, Yamaguchi had lost to An, but this time she switched tactics, opting for a more aggressive approach.

“In the past, I tried to win through long rallies, but that didn’t work well. Today, I made a conscious decision to attack more and stay on the offensive,” she explained.

Yamaguchi credited her mental and physical preparation for the win, particularly the motivation and clarity she gained from setting a big goal at the World Championships.

“Preparing for the World Championships really helped me grow. That experience made me more aware of myself and how I needed to change. I’m grateful for having had that challenge.”

Meanwhile, An expressed her disappointment at not performing better in front of her home fans.

“I should’ve delivered a better result, especially with so many people here to support me. It was a disappointing match,” said the top seed.

Reflecting on her previous win over Yamaguchi in China, An acknowledged that this match felt different.

“Last time, I felt more in control. Today, Akane pushed the pace so much that I struggled to keep up.”

Other Tournament Highlights

• Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae secured their eighth title of the year, edging out Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Fajar Alfian in a tight second game, 21-16, 23-21.

• Jonatan Christie claimed his first title of 2025, defeating Denmark’s Anders Antonsen 21-10, 15-21, 21-17.

• In mixed doubles, top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping continued their dominance over compatriots Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin, winning 23-21, 21-11 to improve their head-to-head record to 12-2.

• In women’s doubles, Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong captured their fourth title of the season with a convincing 21-19, 21-12 victory over Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.

Player Reactions

• Jonatan Christie: “It’s unbelievable. Getting back to this level wasn’t easy, especially against someone as experienced as Anders, who’s world No.2. I’m just really thankful to the fans for their support—it means a lot. Hopefully, there’s more to come.”

• Anders Antonsen: “I experimented with some new tactics this week, which was refreshing. I wasn’t even sure I’d come here, and to reach the final—it’s something I’m happy about.”

• Kim Won Ho: “From the first round to the final, we kept the same mindset: give our best every moment. Even when things weren’t going smoothly, we kept communicating and supporting each other, and that made the difference.”