[Anchor]
World-renowned women's singles badminton powerhouse An Se-young has achieved a historic, unprecedented second consecutive Asian Games victory. By not giving up a single game across five matches in this tournament, she has once again solidified her status as the greatest player of all time.
Reporting from the site, here is Yu Byeongmin.
[Reporter]
In the final against world No. 3 Yamaguchi, An Se-young conceded the early momentum in the first game to her opponent's quick-paced attacks.
An Se-young's time spent trailing did not last long.
By continually sending the shuttlecock to the corners of the court, she forced Yamaguchi to run relentlessly and exhaust her stamina, and whenever a gap appeared, she easily turned the tables with a sharp smash.
Having wrapped up the first game 21-17, An Se-young grew even stronger after getting hit in the face by a shuttlecock early in the second game while struggling against Yamaguchi's fierce counterattack.
Even when Yamaguchi repeatedly unleashed smashes, An Se-young effortlessly returned them all, gently pushing shots into open spaces on the court to leave Yamaguchi in despair.
When Yamaguchi's final attack went out, confirming a 2-0 victory, An Se-young relished the joy of her unprecedented second consecutive Asian Games title with her signature roar.
[An Se-young / Asian Games Badminton National Representative : It is truly crazy. The feeling is crazy, too. The taste of victory seems even better the more you experience it, which makes me think I want to keep experiencing it over and over.]
Completing a "flawless victory" without dropping a single game while playing a total of just 180 minutes across five matches in this tournament, An Se-young smiled brightly and hugged her parents who visited the stadium, saying that at least for today, she feels she truly is the greatest player in history.
[An Se-young / Asian Games Badminton National Representative : Today, I think I will enjoy being called the G.O.A.T. Honestly, I haven't been able to drink a single glass of namajiru (draft beer) since coming to Japan. I am going to enjoy a fun party with my family.]
No one could stop her.
An Se-young proved her qualifications as the greatest player in history, putting a spectacular finale on this tournament.
Reported by Yang Doo-won | Video by Lee Jae-sung | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung
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