Source:EYEPRESS Images/F.L Wong
[Saba Sports News] In the first round of the women’s singles at the 2025 BWF World Championships, world No. 1 An Se-young easily defeated Belgium’s Clara Lassaux 2-0. Ranked only 100th in the world, Lassaux was simply not on the same level in terms of raw skill, and An Se-young controlled the match from the start. After the match, South Korean media outlet Kookmin Ilbo reported: “An Se-young, challenging for a second consecutive World Championship title, needed only 29 minutes to easily win her opening match.” The article stated: “The defending women’s singles champion is challenging for the title again on her ‘lucky ground’.” It continued: “In 2023, at the Copenhagen World Championships, An Se-young won Korea’s first-ever World Championships singles title. The 2025 World Championships are being held at the same venue in Paris where she won the Olympic gold medal last year.” The world’s strongest player, An Se-young, has shown peak form this year, already securing 6 titles. However, at last month’s BWF Super 1000 event, she withdrew from the semi-finals due to discomfort in her right knee. That decision was made specifically to better prepare for the Paris World Championships, meaning An Se-young actively chose to forgo the chance to complete a “Super Grand Slam.”