Korea Open: An Se-young secures 11th title of the year

An Se-young beat Akane Yamaguchi 21-12, 15-21, 21-16 to win the Korea Open final in Yeosu on Sunday, claiming her 11th title of the year.

The world number one extended an unbeaten run that stretches back to March and said she was "very proud" of her achievements after the victory. "When the match was over, I was very proud of myself." she added, noting the occasion felt different because it was at home: "It felt a bit different because it's my home tournament."

Yamaguchi, the world number two, pushed An in the second game but An recorded her 11th straight victory over the Japanese player. The most recent time Yamaguchi had beaten An came in the final of last year's Korea Open.

Addressing Yamaguchi's threat, An told the Badminton World Federation: "She's a player who can always keep the score close so I tried to keep the intensity up all the way until the end." On their rivalry she said: "Whenever we play each other, sometimes I win and sometimes she does, so I didn't think too much about last year's result."

An also reflected on Yamaguchi's variety of play: "Yamaguchi is a player who brings different styles into every match, so I knew it wouldn't be easy and it wasn't."

Of tournaments this year that she did not win, An finished runner-up at the All-England Open and pulled out injured from the Japan Open; she claimed her second world crown in August in New Delhi and became the first woman to win two Asian Games singles titles in Nagoya in September.

"We don't play many matches in Korea so this feels like a dream moment," said An. "I'm just so proud and happy that so many people in Korea are now supporting badminton."