Lin Chun-Yi and An Se Young clinch men's and women's singles titles at India Open
New Delhi (PTI): Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi claimed his maiden Super 750 title in men's singles, while world number one An Se Young of South Korea underlined her supremacy by securing the women’s singles crown at the USD 950,000 India Open here on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Lin, currently ranked 12, completed a sharp turnaround from an early exit at last week’s Malaysia Open Super 1000, powering his way to the men’s singles title with a 21-10, 21-18 win over third seed Jonatan Christie in the final.
In women’s singles, top seed and defending champion An Se Young was once again in control as she defeated China’s world number two Wang Zhiyi 21-13, 21-11 to claim her second title of the season.
In doubles, China’s top-seeded women’s pair of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning secured the title with a 21-11, 21-18 victory over Japan’s fifth-seeded Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Matsumoto in a 58-minute final.
Paris Olympics silver medallist combination of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China rallied from a game down to beat Japan’s world No. 22 Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita 17-21 25-23 21-16 in the men's doubles final.
The mixed doubles crown went to Thailand’s third-seeded Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran, who edged Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje 19-21, 25-23, 21-18.
Lin vs Jonatan
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Lin, who had come close to winning a super 750 title at China Masters in September, arrived in India nursing a muscle strain sustained in Kuala Lumpur, which had initially made walking difficult, but chose to compete and made the most of the opportunity.
The left-handed shuttler produced an attacking game, troubling Jonatan with his pace. The Indonesian also failed to negotiate the drift in the hall as he missed his touch, allowing the left-handed Taiwanese to go on a rampage, opening up an 11-5 lead and then reeling off another seven points to run away with the opening game.
In the second game, Jonatan put up a better fight and had leads of 6-4, 9-7 and 18-15 but Lin was always breathing down his neck and wrested back the momentum in the final stages with six straight points to seal the issue.
"I think I played pretty well today. I didn’t feel much pressure and I felt like I was playing happily," Lin said.
"I didn’t feel very good in Malaysia, but in India I felt freer on court."
The Chinese Taipei shuttler, who comes from a farming family, said the title had boosted his confidence.
“I’m very happy to win my first Super 750 title. It shows that I can stand on my own feet. My goal is to be in the top 10 in the world this year. Perseverance is the key, whether I win or lose,” he said.
Away from badminton, Lin said competitive video games help him unwind.
"I like games where there are two sides attacking and defending each other, like PUBG or Counter-Strike," he added.
An vs Wang
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In the women’s singles final, An was never under serious pressure as she cruised to her 18th win in 22 meetings against China’s Wang Zhiyi, including all nine finals the two have contested in 2025.
An moved effortlessly around the court, repeatedly pushing Wang onto the back foot with her control and precision to race to a 7-1 lead before stretching it to 15-9. Wang briefly recovered to 13-15 but An reeled off the final six points to pocket the opening game.
The second game followed a similar script as An stayed composed and built a steady 11-7 advantage. Wang struggled with consistency, frequently finding the net or missing the lines, allowing the contest to wrap up quickly.
"I’m really glad I won. The last two weeks have been very tiring, but I’m a winner and I’m very happy,” An said while acknowledging the sizeable crowd. “I know it was going to be a difficult match, but I tried to endure everything.”
Asked about her sustained success, An said she remains focused on her attacking play.
“I know every player will try their best to beat me, but I’ll also do my best not to lose. I try to focus on attacking and giving my best."
Korea’s singles coach Lee Hyun-il said An has consciously worked towards becoming more aggressive on court.
“She wants to play a more attacking game, so we train accordingly. We focus on power and weight management,” Lee said, adding that An has also been working with a mental trainer.
“She has taken up consultancy to improve the mental side of her game. It’s based on her needs.”
Asked about An’s approach to coaching, Lee said her commitment stands out.
“It’s not just about listening to the coach. She wants to do her best, so she tries everything the coaches suggest. That’s how she maintains her level.”
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Wildfires race across Chile, leaving 15 dead, forcing thousands to flee
Penco (Chile) (AP): Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 15 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed scores of homes, authorities said, as the South American country swelters under a heat wave.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country's central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, around 500 kilometres south of Santiago, the capital.
The emergency designation allows greater coordination with the military to rein in two dozen wildfires that have so far blazed through 8,500 hectares and prompted 50,000 people to evacuate, according to Chilean Security Minister Luis Cordero.
“All resources are available,” Boric wrote on X.
But local officials reported that for hours on Sunday, destruction was everywhere and help from the federal government was nowhere.
“Dear President Boric, from the bottom of my heart, I have been here for four hours, a community is burning and there is no (government) presence,” said Rodrigo Vera, the mayor of the small coastal town of Penco in the Biobio region. “How can a minister do nothing but call me to tell me that the military is going to arrive at some point?”
Firefighters were struggling to extinguish the flames, but strong winds and scorching weather hampered their efforts Sunday with temperatures topping 38 C (100 F).
Residents said that the fires took them by surprise after midnight, trapping them in their homes.
“Many people didn't evacuate. They stayed in their houses because they thought the fire would stop at the edge of the forest,” said John Guzman, 55, surveying the scene in Penco, where smoke blanketed the sky in an orange haze. “It was completely out of control. No one expected it."
Although the total number of homes burned nationwide remained unclear, one municipality of Concepcion in Biobio reported 253 homes destroyed.
“We fled running, with the kids, in the dark,” said Juan Lagos, 52, also in Penco. The fire engulfed most of the city, burning cars, a school and a church.
Charred bodies were found across fields, homes, along roads and in cars.
“From what we can see, there are people who died ... and we knew them well," said Víctor Burboa, 54. "Everyone here knew them.”
