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An Se-young saved four match points and rallied from 7-17 down in the deciding game to stun Chen Yufei and reach the Indonesia Open final in dramatic fashion.
South Korea’s An Se-Young (AFP)
World No. 1 An Se-young produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of her career, saving four match points and overturning a 10-point deficit in the deciding game to beat Chen Yufei and reach the Indonesia Open final on Saturday.
The South Korean battled past her long-time rival 21-17, 19-21, 22-20 in a gripping 78-minute semifinal at the prestigious BWF Super 1000 event in Jakarta.
The victory extended An’s head-to-head advantage over Chen to 17-14 and kept alive her bid for a second consecutive Indonesia Open title.
Strong Start, Sudden Setback
The South Korean began confidently despite falling behind 1-3 early in the opening game. The top seed gradually worked her way back and pulled away from 16-16 to take the first game 21-17.
The second game appeared to be heading in the same direction when Se-young raced into an 11-4 lead. However, Chen mounted a spirited comeback, capitalising on a dip in intensity from the Korean. From 18-16 down, the Chinese star reeled off crucial points to snatch the game 21-19 and force a decider.
The Incredible Turnaround
Chen looked set for victory when she surged into a commanding 17-7 lead in the third game after winning eight consecutive points. With Se-young appearing fatigued, the match seemed all but over.
The Chinese player then moved to 20-16, earning four match points.
Yet Se-young refused to surrender.
She scrambled across the court, even throwing herself to the floor to keep one rally alive, and clawed her way back point by point. A five-point burst helped reduce the deficit before she saved all four match points to level at 20-20.
With momentum fully on her side, An completed the astonishing comeback, sealing the match 22-20 and leaving Chen stunned.
Another Final Awaits
Se-young will now face Akane Yamaguchi in the final after the Japanese star defeated Sim Yu-jin 21-14, 21-7 in the other semifinal.
The matchup is a repeat of last week’s Singapore Open final, where An Se-young emerged victorious. She now chases back-to-back titles and another statement win as she continues her dominant 2026 season.
About the Author
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His…Read More
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