French Open Final: PV Sindhu Continues Winless Streak Against An Se Young as Korean Star Claims Title

India’s PV Sindhu produced a spirited performance to take the opening game against world No. 1 An Se Young, but the South Korean came roaring back to win the women’s singles final of the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Sunday.

The two-time Olympic medallist went down 21-16, 11-21, 12-21 against the reigning Olympic champion, who secured her fourth French Open title and 11th title of the season. Despite the defeat, Sindhu showed encouraging signs against an opponent who has proved exceptionally difficult to overcome.

The opening game offered a glimpse of Sindhu at her attacking best. Using her reach, powerful smashes and clever angles, the Indian kept An under pressure in extended rallies and net exchanges. After the scores remained level through the early stages, Sindhu created a decisive advantage with an overhead cross-court smash and moved ahead 15-11.

An attempted a comeback, capitalising on a few errors, but Sindhu maintained her composure to build a 19-14 lead. A deceptive slice helped her earn six game points, and she eventually converted the opportunity to take the opening game in 20 minutes.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second game. An quickly established a lead and used her sharp net play, powerful smashes and consistency to pull away. Sindhu struggled to contain the pressure as the Korean won nine of the next 10 points at one stage, eventually taking the game 21-11 to level the contest.

The decider was closely fought in its early stages, with Sindhu opening up an 8-5 advantage. But An fought back to level the score at 8-8 before moving ahead. The world No. 1 seized control after the interval, extending her lead through relentless attacking play and forcing Sindhu into errors to close out the match.

Reflecting on the defeat, Sindhu said she was pleased to have won the opening game but felt she could have done better after leading 8-5 in the decider. She acknowledged that An’s ability to turn the game around made the difference, while stressing that there were positives to take forward.

The defeat also extended Sindhu’s winless record against An to 11 meetings, although the Indian had managed to take a game off the South Korean for only the second time in their career. Sindhu will look to build on the performance as she continues her campaign on the international badminton circuit.